An injury-plagued 2017 season came to a disappointing end for Adrian Gonzalez, when the Los Angeles Dodgers announced he was shut down for the handful of games that remained on the schedule. It came one night after Gonzalez hit a double and home run in a rare start.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made it clear Gonzalez did not factor into the club’s immediate plans for the postseason, but did not rule out the veteran first baseman being called upon in the event unforeseen circumstances set in.
Gonzalez did not travel with the team to Colorado for their final series of the regular season, nor was he with the Dodgers in Arizona during the National League Division Series, or Chicago for the Championship Series.
Roberts explained Gonzalez was instead with his family, focused on getting healthy for the 2018 season, looking to avoid becoming a distraction during the Dodgers’ run to the World Series.
Unconfirmed reports that Gonzalez departed for Italy surfaced this week, though he joined the Spectrum SportsNet LA postgame show as a guest analyst following Game 1 of the World Series.
Now, the beloved teammate is due back at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday for Game 2, according to Mark Willard of FOX Sports:
Per source, Adrian Gonzalez, who was in LA yesterday, is expected to re-join the Dodgers and be at Game 2 tonight.
— Mark Willard (@Mark_T_Willard) October 25, 2017
Gonzalez was limited to just 71 games this season, in which he batted .242/.287/.355 with three home runs and 30 RBI. Despite the down year, Gonzalez did reach a milestone by recording the 2,000th hit of his career on Aug. 22 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming just the 285th player in Major League history to reach that mark.
Gonzalez intends to spend the offseason going through a modified workout program that will target improving and strengthening the condition of his back, and he expects to again serve as an everyday player in 2018.
