LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers have uncommon depth in former MVPs.
But only one – Albert Pujols – was available to actually play Saturday. Clayton Kershaw is on the injured list and both Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger are in limbo with injuries of their own.
Betts has not been in the starting lineup for the past seven games, appearing as a pinch-hitter just once on Monday against the San Francisco Giants. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Saturday that Betts had received a cortisone injection “a couple days ago” to treat the inflammation in his right hip.
“We’re kind of hoping that dissipates some of the pain,” Roberts said. “The goal, the hope is still to have him play on Tuesday in San Francisco. But it’s still day to day. I know he wants to get in there. But the pain is just not allowing for him to be in there. Hopefully, with this shot, it will dissipate and we can get him back out there moving around and then get into the lineup.”
The Dodgers have opted not to place Betts on the IL despite his extended absence in the hope that he will be available for the series against the first-place Giants.
Bellinger, meanwhile, left Friday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring. He was out early before Saturday’s game, taking fly balls in center field and ground balls at first base to test the hamstring. Roberts said first base could be an option to get Bellinger back into the lineup without the running required of an outfielder. The Dodgers are without Max Muncy until Tuesday while he is on paternity leave.
“To eliminate some of the running (in the outfield) might be beneficial,” Roberts said. “But we want to make sure also that the swing isn’t affected by it or the swing doesn’t affect the hamstring.”Bellinger missed 10 games in mid-June with a strain of the same hamstring. But Roberts said he is optimistic that Bellinger will be ready to play on Sunday.
“Hopefully we got ahead of it which I think we did. So it should just be a day,” Roberts said. “That’s our hope.”
KERSHAW STEPS
Kershaw threw a bullpen session Saturday afternoon, his first time throwing off a mound since going on the Injured List with elbow inflammation three weeks ago.
Kershaw threw approximately 30 pitches in Saturday’s session and Roberts said the plan is for the left-hander to throw to hitters in a simulated-game setting Tuesday in San Francisco.
“Then once we get through that … the next step, whether it’s a rehab assignment or activation, I don’t know,” Roberts said. “Right now, I think it’s – get through this ‘pen session, do a BP, simulated game against our guys and then we’ll have more information.”
SEAGER NEXT
Injured shortstop Corey Seager will head to Arizona – again – next week when the Dodgers are in San Francisco for a three-game series beginning Tuesday. The plan is for Seager to participate in games at Camelback Ranch (as he did last weekend).
Seager has been out since May 15 when he suffered a fractured bone in his right hand. Updates on his status have turned murky in recent days. Ideally, though, Seager would collect at-bats in Arizona for a few days then be ready to play when the Dodgers join him there for a series against the Diamondbacks next weekend.
“I think that would be great,” Roberts said. “If he comes out of it fine and then we get on with our club that would be fantastic. Not much would make me happier.”
ROSTER CHURN
With Betts and Bellinger each unavailable but still on the active roster, Roberts has had a short bench to work with recently.
“It’s certainly not ideal,” Roberts acknowledged.
The Dodgers addressed that with one move Saturday, sending left-hander Darien Nunez back to Triple-A Oklahoma City and adding outfielder Luke Raley to the active roster.
And they also added right-hander Mitch White to the bullpen, placing Friday night’s losing pitcher, right-hander Jimmie Sherfy, on the IL with elbow inflammation.
UP NEXT
Rockies (RHP Jon Gray, 6-6, 3.68 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Josiah Gray, 0-0, 9.00 ERA), Sunday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, MLB Network, 570 AM
Leave a Reply