The Los Angeles Dodgers placed Brock Stewart on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder discomfort on July 31, with Cole Irvin joining the active roster as the corresponding move.
Stewart threw live batting practice on Thursday and is nearly ready to be sent out on a rehab assignment. From there, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts predicted it would not be long before the right-hander returned to the active roster.
“Came out of it well,” Roberts said of the live. “I think the next thing is he’ll go out (on rehab assignment) for an outing, maybe two, and then join us.”
Stewart had only been active for a little over a month prior to his most recent injury. He was effective during the relatively short amount of time he was on the mound, with scoreless outings in nine of his 12 appearances since recovering from a bone spur in his left foot.
Overall, he has posted a 2.45 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 25.5% strikeout rate across 14.2 innings while working in a high-leverage role.
This is Stewart’s third time on the injured list this season. He previously began the year recovering from offseason right shoulder surgery before then suffering from bone spurs in his left foot.
Stewart told Kirsten Watson on SportsNet LA that his most recent recovery process has been much more streamlined than the previous two.
“We gave it, like, three days of no-throw and really hammered away at the tissue work,” he began. “Basically, everything around my shoulder, making sure there’s no knots, no rocks in my shoulder anywhere. Just making sure the tissue is laying down correctly and activating correctly.
“I think that’s what led to the tendinitis that I had. Things were just really bound up. So to kind of let things calm down and get the trainers’ hands on me was huge.
“After a couple days of no-throw, and five or six days of a throwing progression before my first bullpen. Throwing feels good. I’m happy with how it feels now. Like I said, one day at a time. Just continuing to work. Whether I’m activated in a few days or a few weeks, it’s not going to change how I approach each day.”
Stewart would be a welcome addition to the relief corps, strengthening the unit overall while providing another high-leverage option.
Jonathan Hernández added to Dodgers roster
The Dodgers added Jonathan Hernández to their roster and optioned Landon Knack ahead of their series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hernández was designated for assignment on Monday, but rejoined the Dodgers after clearing waivers.
The 30-year-old last tossed two scoreless innings on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He has appeared in 15 games with the Dodgers, he has a 6.45 ERA in 22.1 innings with 18 strikeouts and a 1.43 WHIP.
Hernández will likely be replaced by Stewart once he is activated from the 15-day IL.
If you love our reporting, choose DodgerBlue.com as a preferred source on Google.
