The injury bug will not leave the Dodgers alone. On Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies, Teoscar Hernández pulled up limping while trying to beat out a ground ball and was removed in the second inning. He was thrown out on the play, then walked slowly back to the dugout before exiting, cutting short what had been a productive night for Los Angeles’ left fielder and adding yet another problem to an already shuffled lineup.
Teoscar exits with a left hamstring strain
After Hernández pulled up on the groundout, the Dodgers announced that he had sustained a left hamstring strain and replaced him in left field with Hyeseong Kim. Kim finished out the inning in Hernández’s place, according to the Los Angeles Times. The club relayed the update shortly after the play.
Kiké Hernández's comeback derailed
As if one Hernández going down were not enough, utilityman Kiké Hernández is back on the shelf almost as soon as he returned. Earlier this week, he was activated from the 60-day injured list following offseason elbow surgery. On May 26, he went 2-for-2 in his season debut, as covered by MLB.com. But he exited his game Tuesday and is now headed for further evaluation.
Imaging shows oblique tear
Postgame testing brought more bad news. An MRI after Tuesday’s game revealed what the team called a “significant tear” in Kiké’s left oblique, and he was placed back on the injured list, the Los Angeles Times reports. The setback came just as the Dodgers were counting on a lift from his return and now pushes more responsibility onto youngsters and recent call-ups.
Depth strain and immediate impact
These latest blows add to a string of issues that have already forced Los Angeles to shuffle its rotation and bench this month. CBS Sports coverage of the Dodgers has tracked a series of recent roster moves and day-to-day absences, leaving the club thinner as it moves into a key stretch of divisional games.
Who fills the void?
To plug the most immediate holes, the Dodgers recalled infielder Alex Freeland and could keep Hyeseong Kim in the majors longer, according to Dodgers Nation. In the short term, manager Dave Roberts is left to juggle lineups while tracking the recoveries of both Hernándezs before deciding on any longer-term roster moves.
The team has said it will provide more information after additional testing. With the second half of the season approaching, the next few weeks figure to be critical for the Dodgers’ depth and their postseason hopes.
_(50161534636).jpg){kind=link}