We have a couple Japanese Andromeda bushes that we did not plant. There are three right in a row, the middle of which looks very dead. I have scratched some of the branches to see if there is any green underneath, and while there might be a little, it could also just be white and it's hard to access. Is there anything I can do to save this shrub? Thanks so much!

The one on the background looks like "Mountain Fire" to me and it seems to be healthy. Even the one with the issue bloomed profusely. I'm assuming alkaline soil or water is not the problem. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but that really looks like phytophthora root rot. Is it possible that this plant was in standing water for some reason? perhaps it was overwatered unwillingly or it was unusually hot or rainy? I hope I'm wrong because coming back from that is highly unlikely.