Teoscar Hernandez left Friday’s 3-1 Dodgers loss to the Guardians within the first inning, after the slugger was hit on the left ankle by a pitch from Cleveland starter Matthew Boyd. Hernandez was in apparent discomfort when leaving the sphere, although the harm has been termed a foot contusion for now since preliminary x-rays had been destructive.
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts instructed reporters (together with MLB.com’s Juan Toribio) that extra assessments can be executed on Hernandez’s ankle, however a visit to the injured listing appears unavoidable. “[Hernandez is] as robust as they arrive and he may barely transfer his foot….He doesn’t come out of video games,” Roberts stated. “Afterwards, the ache usually subsides for him, however it didn’t. It’s regarding.”
Extra can be identified about Hernandez’s standing later at present, but because it looks as if he’ll definitely be happening the IL, the query is now whether or not or not we’ll see Hernandez on the sphere once more in 2024. Past simply the common season, the Dodgers definitely hope to be enjoying deep into the playoffs, but such an prolonged run would clearly be much more tough if Hernandez isn’t accessible. Successful the NL West can also be not a foregone conclusion, because the Dodgers maintain a four-game lead on the Padres and a 5.5-game lead on the Diamondbacks.
Contemplating how Hernandez can also be a free agent this winter, additionally it is conceivable that Friday may’ve marked the tip of the left fielder’s tenure in Los Angeles altogether. After a down 12 months with the Mariners in 2023, Hernandez inked a one-year, $23.5MM contract with L.A. final winter with the concept that he may make a fast return to free company this coming offseason on the heels of a rebound 12 months. That situation has performed out precisely as Hernandez had supposed, as he has hit .266/.331/.488 with 28 homers over 581 plate appearances and earned a spot on the NL All-Star staff.
Maybe the important thing quantity in that statline is just the variety of plate appearances, as Hernandez has been one of many Dodgers’ pillars of stability amidst an injury-plagued season. Nearly actually each member of the L.A. pitching employees has frolicked on the IL or had their season already ended by accidents, and Mookie Betts (fractured hand) and Max Muncy (indirect pressure) additionally every missed months of time earlier than returning in August.
Simply when it appeared as if Los Angeles lastly had its first-choice lineup all intact, nonetheless, the position-player depth will once more be examined if Hernandez misses time as anticipated. Any of Enrique Hernandez, Chris Taylor, Andy Pages, or Tommy Edman may very well be cycled into left subject, although the Dodgers had additionally been utilizing the right-handed hitting Hernandez and Taylor at second and third base, to protect the lefty-swinging Muncy and Gavin Lux towards some southpaw pitching. James Outman is essentially the most possible Triple-A call-up, as Outman’s presence would additional add to the outfield combine whereas maybe protecting Lux and Enrique Hernandez extra restricted to infield obligation.
