7:17pm: Puig is expected to be down for “a few weeks,” per skipper Dave Roberts (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register, on Twitter). Notably, it’s said only to be a grade 1 strain, which is promising news, though recovery timelines on oblique injuries are notoriously hard to predict.
6:53pm: The Dodgers have placed outfielder Yasiel Puig on the 10-day disabled list, as was expected after he departed last night’s game with an evident injury to his side. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by fellow outfielder Andrew Toles, who’ll make his season debut.
In announcing the move, the Dodgers identified Puig’s injury as a right oblique strain. (Last night, the club had rather curiously described itas both an intercostal and oblique strain.) It’s still unclear, though, what kind of timetable is anticipated.
Puig, 27, has been a solid performer this year for the Los Angeles organization. Through 277 plate appearances, he has driven 11 home runs and posted an above-average .265/.325/.462 batting line.
The loss hurts, certainly, though Puig is hardly an irreplaceable star. Easing the pain for the team is the fact that the door is now opened for the return of Toles, who missed much of 2017 with an ACL tear.
Toles had carved out a role on the MLB roster prior to the injury, but wasn’t able to move right back onto the active roster this year with so many high-performing position players making for a crowd. He has certainly looked ready to make an impact while awaiting his chance to return. Through 146 plate appearances at Triple-A, the 26-year-old is slashing a robust .326/.363/.500.
It’s likely the Dodgers will mix and match on a daily basis following this roster shake-up. Toles will join Joc Pederson and Cody Bellinger as left-handed-hitting options, with Matt Kemp and Enrique Hernandez available from the right side.
We will probably see a lot more Kemp in RF. Toles doesn’t have the arm for it.
Toles definitely has a stronger arm than Kemp. Toles arm has been clocked at 96 mph by statcast, so he can probably play a better right field than Kemp.
I don’t much care about about the speed of his arm so much as the accuracy. The last time we saw him play in the majors his defense all-around clearly needed some work. That said, Roberts showed a lot of confidence in his abilities by starting him in CF last night. So we’ll see.
You kidding? Toles got a great arm. I’d say grade 65 on a 80 scale.
Finally toles has a chance to play instead of being wasted at AAA. He gets on base, steals a bag or 2, and plays great defense. Can’t wait to see what he does.
Calling up Toles instead of Verdugo could mean that they are trying to showcase Toles for prospective trade partners.
Wait a minute, Toles as a trade candidate? He’s 26 and is just a 4th outfielder. Not a ton of value there.
Definitely not as a centerpiece…but as a complimentary one.
Toles is a stud who was on the verge of breaking out when he blew out his knee.
Toles is up, because Verdugo is nursing minor injuries. The Dodgers aren’t going to showcase anyone as they are trying to win ballgames. Plus the showcase idea is a farce for the most part. You’re not going to find out anything you didn’t already know or haven’t already seen in a SSS. I love Toles, but he’ll be used as a platoon OF. If they feel as though Toles is the best available player at this time then that’s why he’s up. If we’re being honest Verdugo is more likely the one that’s traded as he’s the one that has more trade value and they aren’t going to trade him at his lowest trade value.
It’s really difficult to evaluate Toles, considering his history of personal issues and injuries. He’s also a bit of an odd duck. We can see the talent, his personal story is interesting, it is kind of fun to watch him navigate the game, but how much do we know about him really? Not a lot.