After playing a key role for the Los Angeles Dodgers when A.J. Pollock underwent elbow surgery, now Alex Verdugo has fallen victim to the injury bug himself. Verdugo’s trouble began when he was scratched from the lineup on Aug. 5 because of back tightness.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts downplayed any serious concern and didn’t anticipate his rookie outfielder would require a stint on the 10-day injured list. However, Verdugo was sidelined the following day — albeit with what the team officially diagnosed as an oblique strain.
A slow recovery process led to Verdugo beginning a rehab assignment with Rookie-level Ogden and an expectation he would rejoin the Dodgers on their current road trip. That changed when he managed to appear in all of one game before back trouble resurfaced.
With Verdugo still not participating in any workouts because of the discomfort, Roberts conceded he isn’t likely to be included on the Dodgers’ postseason roster for the National League Division Series, per Ken Gurnick of MLB.com
Roberts said it’s “very unlikely” outfielder Alex Verdugo will be active for the first round of the postseason, but left open the possibility of him rejoining the club in a later round.
Up to this point Roberts had maintained there was a possibility for Verdugo to make a recovery in time for the start of the postseason. He took solace in the fact that Verdugo’s oblique remained in good standing.
The Dodgers haven’t shown any hesitation to adjust their roster between playoff rounds, and presumably would be willing to activate Verdugo should he prove to be healthy and they advance to the NL Championship Series.
Verdugo has batted .294/.342/.475 with 22 doubles, 12 home runs and 44 RBI through 106 games in his first full Major League season. He additionally has provided the Dodgers with positional flexibility by being able to adequately play all three outfield positions.
With Verdugo all but ruled out to make the Dodgers’ postseason roster for the NLDS, that would appear to benefit Matt Beaty most and Gavin Lux as well.
