The Los Angeles Dodgers are set to welcome back several key contributors this week, with Andy Pages expected to return for Tuesday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres.
Pages won’t go on a Minor League rehab assignment before rejoining the Dodgers because of how late it is in the season, so he has six games to prepare for the playoffs. While live at-bats will be important to help him get back to game speed, the team plans to be cautious with his immediate workload.
“So we have obviously, assuming he gets back on Tuesday, then there’s six in a row, and that seems pretty aggressive,” manager Dave Roberts explained.
“So I think that we do want to get him as many at-bats as possible, but we have to make sure that his legs are under him, feeling good, so we don’t go backward or get injured in that respect. So it is going to be a balancing act, and just keeping a keen eye on Andy for sure.”
Pages has been on the 10-day injured list since Aug. 22 due to a left hand fracture. He underwent a procedure that involved inserting a screw into his left hand to accelerate the recovery process without extending the recovery timeline.
Pages was in the midst of a career year prior to landing on the IL and consistently put together quality at-bats for the Dodgers. Roberts expects more of the same when the 25-year-old returns, even if he initially gets off to a slow start following the long layoff.
“Yeah, I think I’m expecting good at-bats,” Roberts said. “I can’t speak to the performance. I think I just want him to have good at-bats. I’m not sure where he’s going to hit, somewhere in middle to the bottom, I think for me. But yeah, I don’t know. I think I’m waiting just like you guys are waiting to see how it looks.”
Pages provides even more value to the Dodgers with his elite defense in center field. Even in the event he struggles at the plate, Roberts believes he has a higher floor than most players because of his arm and glove.
“The defense is a big reason why he’s still a valuable player, even coming off the IL with the uncertainty of the offense, which we’ll still bet on. But playing at premium position and playing it well is hugely important,” Roberts said.
Andy Pages’ unique recovery
Pages first began hitting off a tee before progressing to swings off a pitching machine. More recently, he logged at-bats against the Trajekt machine.
In a perfect world, Pages would face live pitching before returning to the Dodgers. But with not many arms available, Roberts indicated the team feels comfortable activating the 2026 All-Star without those additional reps.
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