LOS ANGELES — For the primary time this month, the Dodgers’ lineup was again at full power. Now, they’ve the high-class downside of determining one of the best ways to get everybody the taking part in time they want.
Proper fielder Teoscar Hernández was activated from the 10-day injured checklist earlier than the Dodgers dropped their season-high fourth straight sport, 9-5, falling to the D-backs at Dodger Stadium. Outfielder James Outman was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis because the corresponding transfer.
The Dodgers additionally bought utility man Tommy Edman again on Sunday. Each Edman and Hernández have been within the lineup Monday for the primary time since April 29, 4 days earlier than Edman went on the IL with proper ankle irritation. Hernández was sidelined three days after that with a left groin pressure.
Their absences opened the door for former KBO star Hyeseong Kim to get his first style of Main League motion and for Andy Pages to slip from middle subject to proper. Now, there’s some query of how the taking part in time will shake out with all of them on the lively roster.
“I do not assume [Edman and Hernández are] going to be able to Iron Man it fairly but,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman stated Sunday. “We’ll combine in guys and determine that out, and as guys get to be extra wholesome and taking part in extra, we’ll determine the place to go from there.”
On Monday, Pages bought a time off, and Edman began at second with Kim in middle subject and Hernández in proper. There are a number of transferring elements with each Edman and Kim able to taking part in the infield and outfield.
This is a have a look at how the Dodgers might strategy taking part in time on the related positions:
Second base
Edman and Kim have each gained their league’s high defensive honor at second base previously. With Kim nonetheless acclimating to the Main Leagues, the Dodgers will seemingly lean towards taking part in him on the place the place he has extra expertise when he and Edman are within the lineup.
That was not the case on Monday, although. Being aware of Edman’s ankle, the Dodgers opted to not have him play back-to-back video games the place he must run at high pace in middle subject. As an alternative, Kim bought his third begin in middle, and misplaced a first-inning fly ball within the twilight sky that dropped for an RBI double.
Supervisor Dave Roberts acknowledged that Kim’s restricted expertise in middle — the place he by no means performed within the KBO — contributed to the error.
“I believe proper at that time limit, he is simply looking for the baseball and not likely letting the fellows to the aspect know that he’s having bother,” Roberts stated. “However that is extra expertise and type of an outlier play.”
Kim has but to start out a sport towards a left-hander, so second base needs to be open for the switch-hitting Edman when the Dodgers are dealing with a lefty starter.
Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas can even man second towards a southpaw if Edman is required in middle subject as an alternative.
Outfield
The complete-strength beginning outfield has usually been Michael Conforto in left, Pages in middle and Teoscar Hernández in proper. That will not change a lot.
“Andy is an on a regular basis participant,” stated Roberts. “He’s earned it. … I believe that with Kim — getting Tommy some days on occasion; I believe getting Teo a day right here or there to get his ft again and legs again below him. We’ll give Michael a day right here within the subsequent two. I believe that’ll be a option to type of maintain Kim concerned. I might in all probability say 3 1/2 instances every week, getting him in there to start out.”
The choice the Dodgers made by preserving Kim within the Majors is much like the calculation they made with high prospect Dalton Dashing, who’s up because the backup catcher. The crew believes that it might strike the best stability with sufficient taking part in time and worthwhile expertise to proceed its younger gamers’ improvement.
“It is going to be onerous to get common, on a regular basis taking part in time,” Friedman stated. “However we really feel like there will probably be a very good quantity. And if in some unspecified time in the future, if there’s not, we’ll assess it and decide.”
