LOS ANGELES — Decision day might be coming again.
Earlier this week, the Dodgers decided it was time for top prospect Dalton Rushing to get tested at the major-league level. That cost Austin Barnes, the longest tenured position player on the Dodgers’ roster at the time, his job and he was designated for assignment.
In the next few days, the Dodgers expect to get Tommy Edman and Teoscar Hernandez back from injuries. Edman could be back as early as Sunday. Hernandez started a brief minor-league injury-rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Saturday and could be activated as soon as Monday.
One roster spot will almost certainly come from sending James Outman back to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Outman has gone 3 for 24 (.125) with 13 strikeouts in nine games with the Dodgers.
Clearing a second roster spot will be more problematic with veteran utilityman Chris Taylor (the longest-tenured position player since Barnes’ departure) very much on the bubble, thanks to the performance of Hyeseong Kim since his promotion two weeks ago.
Kim has gone 14 for 31 (.452) in 13 games, reaching base in eight of the nine games he has started and putting together a streak of nine consecutive plate appearances reaching base.
“He’s been good. He’s fun to watch,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He just kind of has a magic wand right now. He’s taking good at-bats and putting the ball in play. And when you can do that, good things can happen. I just like his at-bat quality.”
There has been a lot to like about Kim, particularly the life he has breathed into the bottom of the Dodgers’ lineup. It’s hard to envision a scenario where he goes back to Triple-A now.
“He certainly fits on the roster,” Roberts said. “I like the dynamic player. I like the defense. I like the versatility. I think his at-bat quality has been fantastic.”
For his part, Kim said he is not thinking about the roster implications of Edman and Hernandez returning.
“I’m trying to do my game. That’s why I think the Dodgers signed me, because of my baseball style,” he said through his interpreter.
“I’m just going to play baseball. When I’m on the field, I’m just going to play my baseball, try to get on base. It’s hard to speculate, hard to predict what’s going to happen in the future.”
OHTANI DAY
Shohei Ohtani took an incremental step forward in his weekly bullpen session Saturday afternoon. He threw 50 pitches, split into two simulated innings of 25 pitches with a rest period in between. It was the most pitches Ohtani has thrown in a workout during his recovery from a second elbow surgery.
Ohtani still is not throwing any breaking pitches during these sessions – only two- and four-seam fastballs, cutters and changeups. Roberts has said Ohtani will need to incorporate those before he starts facing hitters.
Ohtani is not expected to pitch in games until after the All-Star break now.
ROSTER MOVE
In order to activate Clayton Kershaw from the 60-day Injured List for his start Saturday, the Dodgers sent right-hander Ryan Loutos back to Triple-A and moved left-hander Blake Snell to the 60-day IL. Snell has already been out since April 3 with a shoulder injury and just began playing catch this week.
ALSO
Right-hander Blake Treinen has started playing catch. The veteran reliever made eight appearances with the Dodgers to start the season but has been out with a sprained forearm since April 14.
UP NEXT
Angels (LHP Yusei Kikuchi, 0-4, 3.72 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Tony Gonsolin, 2-0, 2.81 ERA), Sunday 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM