Shohei Ohtani managed to avoid the injured list and returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Labor Day after a four-game absence, but multiple players are still out.
Among them are Andy Pages, Edwin Díaz, Roki Sasaki, Kris Bubic, Eric Lauer and Dalton Rushing. Bubic and Díaz are both on respective rehab assignments, and they may soon be joined by Pages. Meanwhile, Sasaki is making steady progress toward getting activated.
Dodgers updates
Andy Pages
Pages, who suffered a left hand fracture on Aug. 21, is already pain-free hitting off a tee.
“I think every day it’s getting a little bit more for Andy,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his progression. “I don’t think he’s going to go with us on the road. I think he’ll go to Arizona or maybe a rehab. But he’s coming quickly. If it were up to him he’d be playing tonight.”
Pages underwent surgery in the days after being hit by a pitch to place a screw in his left hand. The goal of the procedure was to accelerate the healing process, which appears to have taken place for the 25-year-old.
“I’m actually not,” Roberts answered when asked if he was surprised by Pages’ progress so far. “This guy has got a crazy desire. Youth is a good thing, but bones still got to heal.”
The Dodgers estimated at the time of his injury that Pages would need four to five weeks to heal.
Roki Sasaki
Sasaki was placed on the 15-day injured list Aug. 27 because of a blister on the middle finger of his right hand, but he’s continued to throw while wearing a protective cover. Sasaki’s latest work was a bullpen session on Monday, and he’ll throw another before then pitching to hitters in live batting practice.
“Roki is close. We haven’t set a date, but everything he’s done to this point, he’s close to coming back,” Roberts said.
Sasaki is eligible to be activated Sept. 11, but he doesn’t figure to return until at least a few days after that given the general schedule Roberts outlined.
There had been an indication the right-hander would possibly be moved into the bullpen upon getting activated — like with Justin Wrobleski — but the Dodgers are now planning on having Sasaki remain a starter for the time being.
That decision likely stems from Ohtani stopping his throwing progression and Lauer also being on the IL.
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