October 9, 2008 Hong-Chih Kuo has made the Dodgers' NLCS roster, according to the LA Times.
Our View:Kuo was left off the NLDS roster against Chicago while dealing with a sore elbow, but manager Joe Torre decided he was fit for duty in the NLDS against Philadelphia. Kuo enjoyed a strong regular season with the Dodgers, as he held a 2.14 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over 80 innings.
October 7, 2008 L.A. reliever Hong-Chih Kuo threw a simulated inning on Tuesday, and came away from the session pain-free, according to MLB.com. "His command was much better than I anticipated," Dodgers pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said.
Our View:Kuo should be available now for the NLCS. He has been battling pain in his triceps, but the matter seems to be resolved after his second pain-free outing in three days.
October 7, 2008 Dodgers reliever Hong-Chih Kuo may be in the team's bullpen for the NLCS after missing the NLDS due to elbow pain, according to the L.A. Times.
Our View:Kuo threw 30 pitches in a simulated game on Sunday, and everything went well. He'd certainly be an asset to the Dodgers, and had a great season, striking out 96 in 80 innings and sporting a WHIP of 1.01.
October 1, 2008 Hong-Chih Kuo underwent a heart exam in an attempt to determine why his fingers went numb and turned red while warming up Saturday, according to the LA Times.
Our View:He tested negative for blood clots. As previously stated, he will not pitch in the NLDS against Chicago, and will be missed as he held a 2.14 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over 80 innings in the regular season.
September 28, 2008 As expected, Hong-Chih Kuo won't pitch in the first round of the playoffs for the Dodgers due to his injured triceps muscle, according to the AP.
Our View:Kuo warmed up in the bullpen to pitch in relief Saturday night at San Francisco but said he couldn’t feel his fingers and didn’t enter the game. He then threw for about 15 minutes in the indoor cage and still was having problems with numbness, and his skin turned red. The Dodgers didn’t want to take any chances that Kuo might have a blood clot. He will undergo more tests in the coming days, then head to instructional league in Arizona to decide whether he might be available if Los Angeles advances to the National League championship series.
