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Dodgers right-hander and No. 2 man Zack Greinke this spring has been limited by a strained right calf, and now manager Don Mattingly says he likely won't be stretched out in time to pitch in the season-opening series against the Diamondbacks in Australia, which begins March 22.
"From a standpoint of having 90 pitches, he won't be there," Mattingly told MLB.com's Ken Gurnick.
As Gurnick notes, Mattingly will likely select his starters for the two-game set from a group that includes ace Clayton Kershaw along with Hyun-Jin Ryu and Dan Haren.
Greinke had previously expressed little desire to make the trip to Australia during the middle of what would otherwise be a normal spring training. However, those comments came prior to his injuring his calf as mere four pitches into his first start of the spring.
Greinke, 30, is in the second year of a six-year, $159-million contract with the Dodgers. Last season, he went 15-4 with a 2.63 ERA (135 ERA+) and 3.22 K/BB ratio in 177 2/3 innings of work.
