All recent signs indicate Corey Seager is recovering from his fractured right hand at a fantastic rate. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been without the 2020 World Series MVP since May 16, but may only be mere weeks away from welcoming him back to the lineup.
“As I understand it, the last couple days he’s taken swings with both hands with a tennis ball,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s hit tennis balls so the impact isn’t as great, so I would assume here in the next couple days we’ll ramp up to a Major League Baseball.”
Roberts seemed doubtful when asked whether Seager needs another CT scan performed before returning to hitting actual baseballs, stating that pain tolerance is the deciding factor. Once Seager graduates to that point, though, there is no set date to when he will begin taking batting practice.
“It would be easier if I knew exactly when he was going to take swings with a Major League Baseball versus a tennis ball,” Roberts said. “I think once he does that, it will be a couple days after that that we’ll get him in batting practice. Then we can set up some live sessions. It’s just really hard for me to pin that down right now.”
With Seager’s return to batting practice not necessarily too far away, Roberts seems confident that the shortstop will soon return to the diamond for a rehab assignment in roughly two weeks.
“I think that’s fair. I like that. That sounds reasonable,” Roberts said. He added that any rehab assignment would likely last a minimum of seven games.
Corey Knebel making strides in rehab
A right lat strain has kept Corey Knebel sidelined since April 24. According to Knebel, though, who gave an update on his wife’s Instagram story, his rehab has been “so far, so good.”
Prior to his injury, Knebel was used primarily as a setup man, and through six innings pitched he logged a 4.50 ERA and a 1.00 WHIP.
Should Knebel return from injury and prove effective, he would provide valuable depth to a Dodgers bullpen that already ranks among the league’s top 10.
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