Clayton Kershaw may need surgery on his right hip and he could miss not only the rest of this season but the start of next season as well, according to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times.

If Kershaw must undergo surgery to repair his ailing right hip, he isn’t expected to be pitching in the major leagues until the middle of May, according to people familiar with his condition who were not authorized to speak publicly about it.

Kershaw’s decision on whether to have an operation will be made after Kershaw receives a second opinion from Dr. Bryan Kelly on Tuesday in New York. Kershaw was unable to make his scheduled start for the Dodgers on Sunday.

The team fears he may have a torn labrum that would require surgery.

My opinion on Clayton is the same as it is regarding Matt Kemp: the team should shut them both down. 2012 is not the last year baseball will be played, and this team will be better next year simply by having some of these new pieces on the roster to begin the season. Their future years of service are far more important than a single stretch run in a season that has seen the Dodgers somehow stay in the race despite the unluckiness of multiple serious injuries to vital cogs.

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Scott Elbert was speculated to be returning as soon as Tuesday, but he’ll be out for the season and is set to undergo elbow surgery due to persistent problems.

Left-hander Scott Elbert is scheduled to undergo a season-ending operation Wednesday to clean up his throwing elbow.

The surgery will be performed by team physician Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Elbert is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.

Elbert last pitched Aug. 26. The next day, he was put on the disabled list for the second time this season.

Elbert pitched a simulated game Friday.

“The next day, he went out to play catch and it was back, same thing,” Manager Don Mattingly said. “So we knew he was done.”

As unfair as it might be, Paco Rodriguez now becomes a key piece in the bullpen despite being in college to start the year.

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Kenley Jansen is likely to return on Tuesday. Jansen’s doctors have cleared him to stop taking blood-thinners.

If he’s back to normal then he’ll be an asset even if there’s initial rust, but something rubs me the wrong way about risking anything in regards to this problem. After all, we’re talking about a guy’s life here, screw baseball.

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Chad Billingsley‘s elbow is progressing well and he’s slated to start a throwing program in the coming weeks.

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Ted Lilly, rehabbing a shoulder injury, will have arthroscopic surgery on his pitching shoulder. According to head trainer Sue Falsone, he will be ready for Spring Training in 2013, the final year of a three-year contract.

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Dee Gordon was reinstated after missing 50 games and spending a couple of months on the 60-day DL with a torn ligament in his right thumb. Dee recently completed a rehab stint in Albuquerque.

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Room was made for Dee on the 40-man when the team placed Adam Kennedy on the 60-day DL with a groin strain.

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Don Mattingly has declared Javy Guerra likely out for the year, as was suspected.

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In minor-league injury news, Blake Smith, Gustavo Gomez, Brandon Martinez, Luis Vasquez, Steve Cilladi, Chris O’Brien, Angelo Ponte, Jharel Cotton, Sawil Gonzalez, Francisco Villa, and Matt Laney all landed on either the 7-day or 60-day DL.

Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Pitchers
Dominican Summer League Dodgers: Hitters
Arizona League Dodgers: Pitchers

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There’s no Arizona League picture of suitable size, so you’re stuck with what’s actually a better alternative.

Anyway, today I continue my off-season recap of the minor league affiliates, moving on to the hitters of the Arizona League Dodgers after the pitchers were tackled last time around.

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I’ll be picking the prospects for the 2012 Prospective Prospect Profiles list from these reviews, so it might be worth reading. Or not.

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Chris O’Brien – C – 21

Chris O’Brien Statistics

The switch hitting catcher rode his breakout .410/.495/.643/1.138 season in 2011 for Wichita State to an 18th round draft selection by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Assigned to the Arizona League, he didn’t slow down much as a professional, hitting .291/.356/.470/.826 with a 29/16 K/BB ratio.

There were questions about his defense going into the draft, and he did end up playing DH 18 times out of the 41 games he started in the AZL. In the 23 games he did play catcher, he threw out a respectable 34% of runners, but made 3 errors and allowed 6 passed balls, which basically backs the scouting reports.

O’Brien will be promoted because of his skills at the plate, perhaps as far as A-ball, but his work behind the plate will ultimately determine his future.

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Devin Shines – OF – 22

Devin Shines Statistics

A 38th round pick in 2011 out of Oklahoma State, the center fielder hit .319/.401/.463/.864 in his professional debut, including 13 stolen bases in 17 attempts. He wasn’t free of pop either, as he totaled 14 doubles, 1 triple, and 4 home runs in his 243 plate appearances.

Shines will need to continue to impress in full season ball next year if he’s to make an impact on the Dodgers.

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Joe Winker – OF – 21

Joe Winker Statistics

The 2011 28th rounder out of Mercer University took the AZL by storm, putting up a .348/.416/.591/1.007 line over 192 plate appearances. Certainly an impressive professional debut, especially considering that his walk rate was solid (10.5%) and his strikeout rate was reasonable (18.8%). An especially hot June led to him receiving the month’s Dodger Pride Award.

I suppose his .452 BABIP is a cause for concern compared to the league average of .342, but it was at least partially deserved, as he hit 21.2% line drives compared to the league average of 14.0%.

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Alex Santana – 3B – 17

Alex Santana Statistics

A 2nd round draft pick in 2011, the 17-year-old Santana was the 11th youngest player in the AZL. Age is important context when considering his .238/.298/.339/.636 line, which wasn’t even the worst part about his statistics, as he put up a 30.2% strikeout rate in 202 plate appearances.

The scouting reports are what give reason for optimism, as Baseball America already has him as solid defensively, and most seem to believe he’ll develop good power as he matures. Every single report stresses the fact that he’s still raw, so patience will be the name of the game here.

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J.J. Ethel – C – 22

J.J. Ethel Statistics

Taken in the 49th round of the 2011 draft out of Louisville, Ethel spent most of his professional debut backing up O’Brien. When he did get his chances though, he made the most of them, posting a .303/.378/.515/.893 line in a mere 37 plate appearances.

He’s not likely to even be a relevant prospect, much less make an impact in the majors, but he has a balanced and quiet approach at the plate to go with a level swing. If he could involve his lower half better and not be so arm dominant, I think it would improve his chances as he moves levels.