The Los Angeles Dodgers lost a key piece of their outfield last week with A.J. Pollock undergoing right elbow surgery to remove a metal plate in his growth.
For the 31-year-old, it marked the third such operation on his right elbow dating back to 2010. The Dodgers still have not determined a timeline on when he will resume baseball-related activities.
Facing a long recovery, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided somewhat of an update on Pollock. He was released from the hospital over the weekend and is in the process of recovering before any baseball activities begin, via SportsNet LA:
“Successful surgery, taking out the hardware, on the antibiotics. Had the surgery [Thursday] night, was able to get out of the hospital [Friday], so he’s back at home resting, recovering. I think now we just sit and wait, understanding that the bone structure is still in place, which is really important. The timeline to return, that’s going to be contingent on the healing. … He’s got to heal up and at some point in time he’s going to start playing catch and doing all those other things. That’ll kind of tell us more about when we expect him back. Right now, for the foreseeable future, he’s in recovery mode.”
Pollock endured a rough start to his first season with the Dodgers. Though, he and Roberts maintained a positive outlook and emphasized the long year that lied ahead.
While the team has not provided any indication on a timeline, it’s reasonable to expect Pollock to miss multiple months. With Pollock on the shelf for the foreseeable future, the door is now open for Alex Verdugo to receive more playing time in center field.
Center Field duties are expected to be split between Verdugo, Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor. There will additionally be a platoon in left field between Taylor and Joc Pederson.
Continuing to man right field will be Cody Bellinger, who recently took home National League Player of the Month honors for April after a historic offensive showing.
