The Los Angeles Dodgers got some rough news on one of their key bats. Teoscar Hernandez has been placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain and is expected to miss at least a few weeks.
Hernandez suffered the injury while running to first base on a groundout in the bottom of the second inning during Wednesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. Hamstring strains while sprinting are exactly the kind of injury that can linger, so the Dodgers are being cautious.
Manager Dave Roberts said it is going to be a few weeks at minimum, with more clarity coming after imaging. The early expectation is at least three weeks on the shelf.
A Manageable Loss, but Still a Loss
The good news for Los Angeles is that this is the Dodgers, and the Dodgers have depth that most teams can only dream about. To fill the spot, they recalled Ryan Ward from Triple-A Oklahoma City, and Alex Call is expected to get the bulk of the playing time in left field while Hernandez recovers.
That is the luxury of a loaded organization. Losing a quality hitter for three weeks is not ideal, but the Dodgers have the resources to plug the hole without falling apart.
Still, Hernandez is not easy to replace. He brings real power and run production to the middle of the order, and his bat is a big part of what makes that lineup so deep. Asking Call and Ward to match that is unrealistic.
Why the Timeline Matters
Hamstring injuries are tricky because rushing back almost guarantees a re-injury. The Dodgers have been down this road with players before, and the smart play is patience even if it costs them a few extra weeks of his bat.
Three weeks is the floor, not the ceiling. If imaging reveals a more serious grade of strain, that timeline could stretch toward a month or more. Roberts being non-committal about the exact return is a sign the team wants to see the scans before making promises.
The bigger picture is that the Dodgers are built to absorb this. They have championship aspirations and a roster constructed to survive injuries to almost anyone. A three-week absence for Hernandez in May is the kind of thing a team like this is supposed to weather without panic.
Get well soon, Teoscar. The Dodgers will hold the fort until he is back, and they will need his bat when October comes around.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
