3:36pm: Manager Dave Roberts tells the Dodgers beat that Hernandez is dealing with a Grade 1 adductor strain and that there’s no timetable for a return but Hernandez will be “inactive for awhile.”
3:29pm: The Dodgers announced Hernandez has been placed on the 10-day IL. Outman has indeed been recalled from Oklahoma City to take his spot on the active roster.
3:04pm: The Dodgers will place outfielder Teoscar Hernandez on the 10-day injured list, reports Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The team has yet to formally announce the move or a corresponding transaction, but as first noted by Jack Harris of the L.A. Times, James Outman traveled to meet the team in Miami.
Hernandez exited yesterday’s game with tightness in his left hamstring, the Dodgers announced last night. He went for an MRI to determine the severity of his ailment. The results of that imaging still aren’t clear, nor is a potential timetable for Hernandez’s return, but the team clearly saw enough damage to sit the 32-year-old slugger down for the next 10 days.
Though the 24-11 Dodgers currently hold the best record in baseball (by a margin of half a game over the second-place Padres), their outfield production has been more good than great on the whole. Hernandez has been the best of the bunch, slashing an excellent .315/.333/.600 with nine homers. Andy Pages has been strong as well, with a .277/.347/.491 output in regular playing time. The rest of L.A.’s outfield play has been suspect. Free agent acquisition Michael Conforto is out to a woeful .146/.285/.243 start. Neither Chris Taylor nor Tommy Edman has hit well during limited playing time in the outfield. Edman’s broader .252/.295/.523 slash is still quite solid overall, but he’s also on the 10-day injured list due to an ankle issue.
Edman might’ve been the top choice to fill in for Hernandez were he healthy, but the Dodgers will instead give more looks to Outman now — particularly against right-handed pitchers, given his notable career platoon splits. The 28-year-old Outman had a nice debut showing back in 2022 but has struggled mightily in the majors since that time, due in large part to a sky-high 33% strikeout rate in his career. He’s hitting .254/.322/.508 in Triple-A right now, but that’s coupled with a grim 36.3% strikeout rate in 146 plate appearances.
The Dodgers have also scarcely played Enrique Hernandez in the outfield this year, but he’s certainly no stranger to playing there and would make for a natural righty complement in a platoon setup. Taylor would be an on-paper fit as a fellow righty with outfield experience, but he hasn’t hit at all dating back to 2024 and has actually been even less effective against lefties than he has righties.
Teoscar has been an RBI machine, he’s raking!
“Rbi machine”..Hernandez has been a consistent run producer. It makes you wonder why Toronto didn’t value him more highly.
Teoscar has really enjoyed playing with the Dodgers. I think that’s a big factor for his success last season and now this season.
It’s entirely possible that the Jays did value him, but perhaps he let them know that he wasn’t interested in signing an extension. Jays’ fans would’ve been critical had they not traded him at the deadline in hope of re-signing him and then failed to do so. We as fans have no idea what goes on between teams and players, unless there’s the rare occasion of someone speaking out.
The Jays dumped both Teo and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in the same offseason. The general understanding in the Toronto market is that it was done because management was unhappy with the clubhouse attitude. Teo, Lourdes, Vladdy, and others had a fun time boys club in the dugout, always celebrating and enjoying life, while failing in the playoffs and sometimes not seeming to take things seriously enough on the field.
So, management changed the dynamic. Teo eventually went on to have fun all the way to a World Series title, and the serious Blue Jays stumble and bumble their way to failure, and are confused as to how a serious and less talented team can’t seem to win.
It’s a perplexing mystery.
Because the Jays are run very poorly.
@Acoss1331
Too bad. He was on pace for 165 RBIs. Help when you play on an all-star team.
Not necessarily “enough damage” but could also be “cautionary” with “damage” to a lesser degree…
At least he can still toss sunflower seeds at teammates’ faces after dingers….
Edman replacing him makes no sense.
Edman would play CF pushing Pages to RF, 2B manned by Kim, Taylor, Kiké. Y’know like they’re doing.
Chris Taylor’s offensive drought predates 2024 for sure, but I’m sure he appreciates the underestimate.
That 4m buyout for next year is all but guaranteed…
CT3 should learn to hit from the left side.
Ct3 should learn to hit
I’ve never wanted anyone to change bat weights as much as CT3. He looks like he’s swinging a caveman’s club up there. Would speed up his bat a little. He’s definitely not a plus right now for the Dodgers.
At some point this year they’re gonna DFA him and eat the rest of this year’s salary and pay the $4M buyout for 2026. Yes, he’s versatile in the field, but the guy hasn’t hit in almost 3 years. Dodgers don’t regularly get bitten by bad contracts, but they definitely have in Taylor’s case.
The Dodgers already have enough players that can’t hit before adding Outman.
Best record in MLB and 3rd in runs scored. But whine away.
Some of the guys that I mentioned that couldn’t hit went 0 for 8 tonight.
You must be very happy
Great comment.
Define enough. Thanks.
Muncy
Conforto
Kike
Taylor
Barnes
Is that enough?
Outman picked up where he left off with his
3 K’s tonight.
Outman strikes out in his sleep, he’s all but perfected the act….what a waste.
Outman was excellent in 2023 so I think it is more accurate to say he has struggled since 2023 and not 2022 as stated in article.
I’d like to introduce you to Flaherty who is pitching in Detroit, since you don’t know Jack.
What a shame. He was playing like an MVP and carrying our offense.
Time for someone else to step up.
Tommy will likely be back this coming weekend.
Edman not ready until next Tuesday according to my sources.
Now that I think of it, with a turf field in Phoenix, maybe better Tommy skips that series.
Dalton Rushing appears to be ready to play. Probably time to give him a shot and then Conforto could potentially be replaced by the trade deadline.
Nobody is taking Conforto unless they’re trading a prospect as well.
Conforto has negative trade value. They can simply bench him and acquire a better player. Conforto doesn’t need to be involved in the trade itself.
What value do Kike and CT serve anymore, other than being fun mascots for the team?
You realize half of the game is defense, right? I agree CT is totally expendable but Kiké has filled in admirably at 1B and 2B. Not to mention he’s hit 5 dingers. Plus he has good hair.
And a 0.00 ERA
hahaha
We have a James Outman sighting!
Edman is out, but Outman is in?
And Manny is just being Manny.
Would Manny? Oh, Mannywood if he could
But was Edman Outmanned?
Or OutEd?
They Outed Edman, or Outed Outman? Edman is never Outmanned, but Outman is often out, man.
I’m out.
man
Hyeseong Kim played some CF this year in Oklahoma City . . .
Oh,darn
Outman and Conforto should be jettisoned
I don’t understand why Dodgers fans are so sensitive. They are the most easily offended and constantly b*tthurt of any fanbase.
Having a bad day?
@ignorant
I’m surprised you contrast and compare fan bases and have made a list titled “Most Easily Offended and Constantly B*tthurt Fanbases”, which the Dodgers top.
Seems a little odd, but, do you.