Josh Ravin, Pitcher for Dodgers, Injured in Car Accident

Dodgers relief pitcher Josh Ravin broke his arm on the night of Monday, February 29 during a car accident. The injury, which affected his left radius, was not to his throwing arm. The accident and fracture are the latest in a string of misfortunes that the pitcher, who was signed to the Dodgers last season, has suffered.

Few details of the accident itself have been released by a team spokesman, who said only that Ravin had been alone in the car when it happened. However, Ravin himself, who spoke to TMZ Sports about the incident, provided more information. According to the pitcher, he swerved into oncoming traffic in response to a sudden traffic stop and hit another car. Ravin said that he was told the other driver was OK. He stated that he was only going about 20 MPH at the time of the accident. No known charges have been filed against the pitcher at this time.

Future unclear after surgery

Ravin underwent surgery to correct the fracture on Wednesday, March 2. He had posted a photo of his misshapen arm after the accident noting that it was “Lookin’ like Harry Potter’s wand. #Abracadabra.” The surgery reportedly went well and he is now in the recovery period. However, he will miss most, if not all, of spring training (six to eight weeks, according to TMZ sports). The Dodgers have not released a time table for when he will return to the game.

Though the injury is not to his throwing arm, it could also put his long-term career goals in jeopardy. Prior to the accident Ravin anticipated competing for time in the bullpen after a rocky first season last year. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound pitcher earned a 6.75 ERA and 1.82 WHIP for his nine games in the majors last season. On a more positive notes, he was 2-1 over 9 1/3 innings and had 12 strikeouts and four walks during the season.

Now, he will have to focus on recovery. It is likely that Louis Coleman and Luis Avilan will fill Ravin’s place during his absence.

Accident, injury, the latest in pitcher’s travails

The injury marks the latest in the pitcher’s difficulties, which include illness and a crime committed against his brother. Ravin, a South California native, made his Dodgers debut last year. He was a fifth-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2006 and pitched in the minor leagues for ten seasons. Just after starting with the Dodgers last year, his brother Joel was shot five times outside of his house in the Los Angeles area. He survived the attack. Josh
Ravin then reportedly lost as much as 17 pounds after a bout with influenza and strep throat earlier in this season. The pitcher also underwent hernia surgery last fall.

Nevertheless, Ravin appeared to maintain a positive outlook, tweeting “It can ALWAYS be worse. #blessed” on his Twitter account on the Monday evening of the accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motor vehicle accident in the Los Angeles area, remember that the law is on your side. If the crash was due to the negligent or reckless behavior of another driver, you may be legally entitled to substantial money damages above and beyond the insurance payout. Contact the car accident lawyers at Ellis Injury Law today. We have decades of experience in these cases. We know all the ins and outs of accident liability and have a long-standing reputation for fighting aggressively for the rights of our clients. Speak with an expert attorney today free of charge: 310-641-3335.