Dodgers outfielder A.J. Pollock will undergo surgery to remove the metal hardware that was inserted in his the growth plate of his right elbow back in a 2016 procedure, manager Dave Roberts announced Wednesday (Twitter links via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com and Pedro Moura of The Athletic).
Mike DiGiovanna of the L.A. Times tweets that the Dodgers feel the fact that the metal can be removed entirely, rather than replaced is “relatively” good news, as it means Pollock’s growth plate has healed sufficiently, though obviously the loss is a blow to the club. There’s no timeline on a return, though Roberts noted that Pollock is expected back this season.
The Dodgers were well aware of the injury risks associated with Pollock when signing him to a four-year contract this offseason. The 31-year-old is an undeniably talented all-around player, but he’s topped 500 plate appearances just once in his big league career. Pollock averaged just 101 games played and 402 plate appearances per season dating back to 2014.
Most notably, Pollock was limited to only a dozen games back in 2016 after suffering a fractured elbow while sliding headfirst on a play at the plate — the injury that necessitated the surgery that ultimately led to this new procedure. It’s been a slow start to the season for Pollock, likely in part due to this infection, as he’s hit just .223/.287/.330 through 115 PAs — including just three hits in his past 29 trips to the plate.
With Pollock sidelined indefinitely, it stands to reason that Alex Verdugo will see an increased role in the outfield. Chris Taylor, too, could see an increase in playing time. Beyond that pair of center-field options, the Dodgers have Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson as options, and versatile Enrique Hernandez is plenty experienced there. The team could get another option to add back into the mix eventually as well; Roberts also indicated that Andrew Toles has reported to the team’s Spring Training facility in Arizona and is beginning to work toward a return to the club (Twitter link via DiGiovanna).
Note: An earlier version of this post inaccurately indicated that the hardware in Pollock’s elbow had been dislodged. That is not the case. My apologies on the error.
This dude cannot stay healthy
Truth
He also always has the most random injuries.
He’s kind of like Ellsbury
Except that Pollock is good when he is on the field.
They should have spent the money on improving their bullpen.
The $25M to Kelly wasn’t enough? Plus they knew Urias would be able to help out of the pen this year as well.
No.
If there’s one thing pollock can’t do it’s stay healthy enough to get 500 ABS. Though with the way he was playing they may be better off with more verdugo.
Dodgers ought to get a Nobel prize for their $60 million gift.
Or the Pollitzer
You don’t get the Nobel Prize for a donation…
Donations are the only way you are considered for a Nobel Prize.
Will they just trade for puig at the deadline?
No, they still have an abundance of OFs and he still doesn’t fit their needs.
Not ideal to throw your entire clubhouse chemsity into a blender
The whole clubhouse cancer is a product of a certain LA reporter’s hate for Puig. He’s been fine in Cincy.
🙂
The Kevin Kiermaier of the NL.
A better comparison would be Jacoby Ellsbury since Kiermaier hardly makes any money and has played much more than Ellsbury has
I heard what I think is an even more apt comparison on MLB TV, Pollock vs. Grady Sizemore, both in terms of their injury troubles and their talent levels when healthy.
Would have been fun to see what Grady might have done with 2-3 injury-free seasons beginning in his age-26 season in 2009.
I mean that’s a comparison but I think Grady was 10x the player pollock was injuries or not. Pollock was an elite baseball player for one season. That’s it. Injuries or not I just think Grady was so much better than pollock. The injuries just took his career where as pollock has been able to be productive but not great.
I have to vehemently disagree with you there….. although you’re right, TECHNICALLY Pollock only had one elite season, oh what a season it was….. unfortunately for someone who likes to argue with some cogency I’m going to have to admit that this is a particularly difficult case for me to eloquently argue. I will say this: everyone is entitled to there opinion BUT any TRUE baseball fan, who knows how to quantify it properly (and in such a statistics driven sport this becomes very tedious and difficult) will agree that not only is aj Pollock a better baseball player than Grady sizemore….but that GRADY SIZEMORE was in fact the true one hit wonder…..all underlying stats Suggest he maxed out abs that year and sold out on fastballs, couldn’t really even hit offspeed stuff let alone left handed pitching……AJ POLLOCK on the other hand will go down as one of the sadder wastes of baseball talent….he literally could do it all and at an elite level….he was one of the original pioneers of the five tool player who could hit, hit for power, run, catch and throw…don’t believe me? Then I’ll world to the numbers haha
Grady Sizemore posted 4 seasons of above 5.5 WAR before he was 26. He was not a hit one wonder. All statistics would tell you otherwise. You’re entitled to feel that way but it’s probably coming from a biased position. Sizemore was much better longer. He was incapable of producing after injury.
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-most-underrated-player-in-baseball-again/ yeah you’re right….I just wish I could’ve seen a healthy career for ol AJ
Grady is just such a sad case and I’m not even an Indians fan. Players like him are fun to watch, it’s too bad we didn’t really get to see it.
OMG
Bullet dodged
Fo real
Absolutely the Bravos made a wise choice
I don’t know if I’d go this far. Sure he’ll miss some time this year, but this is relatively a good thing.
Basically the metal in his arm has become bothersome because he did fully heal.
I’m sure it sucks he has to get it removed. But this isn’t exactly an injury. It’s the removal of a foreign object that did its job and is no longer needed.
Anyone who views this as a bad thing is being fairly short sighted
That’s why I have glasses.
The Dude is going to be out for almost all of year one on a 4 year deal, yeah it’s kind of a bad thing. At minimum that’s 25% of the contracts value flushed down the toilet in the first and most valuable year of the contract because it’s year one with an aging player. Yes, it
Is a “bad thing”.
Agreed
Dodgers just throwing money down a black hole!
Its the fans that lose when prices go up for a hotdog to fund this clowns IR stint. YOu’re right, year 1 pretty much gone on a ridiculous contract for a guy that obviously has a history of injury…..don’t care how good you are when healthy, you can’t help the team fro the trainers room!
You’re right. I had metal removed from my ankle and was able to walk on it after a week. In fact, it was better than ever.
Pollock will miss 2-3 months. That is a big loss.
You must have a special information source. This is what is actually known:
“Absolutely,” Roberts said, when asked if he expects Pollock to be out for less than five months. “From what I understand, the bone structure is in a good place, and that’s encouraging. There’s no need to replace the hardware. They can just remove it, and that’s a good sign.”
Wait, he doesn’t play for the Yankees.
Can’t they just inject him with synthetic lubricant??
I read that earlier . We’re just gonna act like that’s a normal occurrence
Sigh. Another player made of glass. Getting so tired of all the injuries.
I’ll take “Unusual Reasons for Surgery” for $300, Alex.
You win.
“Chris Taylor, too, could see an increase….”
This is just not proper English. Imagine saying this aloud. It has to be “could also”.
Haha I know, write? Learn proper English!
When you’re write you’re Wright, rite?
Imagine spending your time correcting grammar mistakes of a sports article
Sum dont half too imagine.
No it awl.
Knot too pile awn, butt that’s knot nice people.
Especially when there is absolutely nothing incorrect about the original sentence, despite the aseptic ear of klarmore11.
It is that guy KF under another account. He absolutely hates “too”being used as a subtle pause. I think at this point MLBTR writers know this and do it on purpose to infuriate him as he pretentiously tries to have online grammar debates. I hope so, anyway.
That’s hilarious. If that’s the case, then I take back my plea below for Klarmore to stop posting.
I, too, hope that’s the case
Imagine spending your time commenting about people who correct grammar in a sports article…
Actually you are incorrect about that.
Taylor is the subject and “too” can follow the subject.
Too can occur immediately after the subject, if it refers directly to the subject. It does not normally occur after a modal or auxiliary verb. We sometimes write commas before and after too:
It absolutely is proper English. I find that sentence to be an incredibly awkward way to phrase things, but it’s technically correct.
Klarmore, as others have noted, you are simply not correct. You may not like the style, but there’s nothing “incorrect” about what Steve Adams wrote.
And if you dislike the MLBTR style as much as you seem to, for God’s sake, just stop reading the site! Spare us your incorrect “corrections.”
He was on me of the only guys who just went out and played the same spot everyday. More musical chairs for Hernandez, Taylor, Muncy & Bellinger
Too bad. Could be one of the top players without injuries.
He is, however the top player ‘with’ injuries.
is it just me or does this guy have have a dark rain cloud following him everywhere relentlessly pouring down on him. Gotta feel for the guy.
60mil should soothe his pain.
Good point. I know it would ease my pain.
Fans these days seemingly have zero loyalty to their team’s players, and this comments section is primarily an excellent example..
Where are the wishes for a speedy recovery, where are the prayers, where is the concern??
Do you all not have a soul?? Is Pollack not a human being as well??
And even if it is somehow only about the money, heck, they weren’t going to use it for anyone else that would be better, and it isn’t like it is your money anyways!!
I truly hope this is just some initial frustration, and this isn’t really how the vast majority of fans feel about their players. If so, that’s incredibly sad, selfish, and just inhuman…
Stay classy guys..come on..
Agreed! Social networks/Forum’s may seem like informal settings, but they should be treated with the same respect as any public place of business. Professionalism is imperative — if you wouldn’t say it in a social or work setting, to someone face-first, don’t say it online, in the most public of forums…
Someone above mentioned it wasn’t really a big deal because it’s a procedure to remove the steel plate now that Pollock is healed.
I agree with your concern about the lack of civility. As a Dodger fan I’d rather he take care of this and come back healthy and contribute. Which is how the organization obviously sees it.
My concern is the Dodgers bullpen that can’t get outs and bats that are on fire the night before and chill out the next. LA should have taken the series from SF just maddening.
Dear God, way over dramatized. The guy isnt experiencing a leave of absence because of a family loss or anything like that. His health is fine as already cleaely detailed above. Not Dodger fans money? Well, team owners make their money from someone which they use to pay players.
Are you seriously lecturing people for not, “wishing speedy recovery” to someone they don’t know that will never read it?
A soul? What the hell is that?
Sliding into any base is a big risk, but more so sliding into first which has affected Pollock’s career.
AJ Pollock Damaged his elbow sliding into home not sliding into 1st place & when they performed surgery to repair his elbow they discovered that a previous surgery wasn’t done correctly which contributed to the to his injury in 2016
4yrs/$55mil… lol
Someone above mentioned it wasn’t really a big deal because it’s a procedure to remove the steel plate now that Pollock is healed.
I agree with your concern about the lack of civility. As a Dodger fan I’d rather he take care of this and come back healthy and contribute. Which is how the organization obviously sees it.
My concern is the Dodgers bullpen that can’t get outs and bats that are on fire the night before and chill out the next. LA should have taken the series from SF just maddening.
The Dodgers need to go find a right handed bat since their big prize is out indefinitely & no folks Chris Taylor is not a good replacement for AJ Pollock
I guess that depends on Chris Taylor. If he hits like 2017 then Pollock will be a platoon in LF with Joc. If Taylor cant get going then it wont surprise me to see Toles hurried along.
Toles is in jail
Taylor is barely a replacement anywhere on the field. How much more playing time can the guy see? Davey has him in the lineup every damn day.
Not surprising. Whether it was a repetitive injury vs. a so called “fluke” injury…most that followed Pollock in AZ predicted an injury outcome. Best predictor of future injuries is prior injuries. I will opine that after removing the plate and recovering, Pollock will likely suffer a third elbow fracture. On a positive note, Pollock career has been quite good and he landed a massive K for a player w/ such an injury riddled history. Maybe he will beat the odds and stay healthy going forward.
They can’t remove a plate because he never had one.
Your license to practice internet medicine should be revoked.
I never thought I’d see someone argue that AJ Pollock was one of the original pioneers of the five-tool player.
hhopper10 read em and weep https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-most-underrated-player-in-baseball-again/
grady sizemore was still better. Pollock had one good season, you are passing out that link like it’s your business card.
Sizemore peaked at 7.9 WAR and had 4 seasons with 700+ PA and 5.6 or better WAR.
Whitefish peaked at 6.8 WAR and that was his only great season. Other than that he was decidedly average as a player.
Sizemore was a superstar for 4 straight season and that is better than Pollock. Get over it.
Janice Griffith just filed the suit against Bilzerian and Hustler magazine for the stunt she says left her with a broken foot. In her suit, Janice says Huster hired her to do a photoshoot at Dan’s home back in April … which would show off his “extravagant lifestyle.”
You could always EMA
EMA
who could have possibly seen this coming?!
Glass… so glad the Dodgers signed him. Haha
In other Dodger news not reported here, they called up Matt Beaty from the minors to take Pollock’s place on the roster and he got a base hit on his first at bat. Also, Andrew Toles reported to training camp in Arizona.