Japan's Hiroki Kuroda is keen to put 2009 behind him, especially the frightening moment when he was struck in the head by a line drive that left the Dodgers hurler with a concussion.
Most might find such a scare hard to forget, but Kuroda says he could - if everyone else would let him.
"I get asked that question every time I'm about to forget about it," quipped the right-hander, who was felled instantly last August 15 when Rusty Ryal's shot came back and struck the pitcher in the front of the head
Kuroda never lost consciousness, but he was briefly hospitalized and spent 21 days on the disabled list. When he returned he struggled, and was sidelined again by a neck injury.
He had been the Dodgers' opening day starter last season, but landed on the disabled list before he could make a second start with a strained muscle that sidelined him until June.
"There are many adversities and a lot of negative things that happened," Kuroda said of 2009. "I just want to make everything positive after what I went through last year and have a good season this year.
"I just have to keep moving forward. I can't give up," Kuroda said. "This game is my destiny so I just have to move forward."
Copyright 2010  AFP American Edition
