The realization struck Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier as he sat at his home Wednesday. For the second spring in a row, an injury has sidelined him near the end of spring training.
A herniated disk in his lower back could cause him to miss opening day. He can only hope to avoid the frustration of 2016, when his fractured leg kept him out of action until September.
“It’s Groundhog Day all over,” Ethier said. “I’ve been stuck in spring training for 18 months now.”
Ethier, who is a few weeks away from his 35th birthday, received a pain-killing epidural injection Monday.