After weeks without one of or both A.J. Pollock and Corey Seager, the Los Angeles Dodgers are poised to see their returns within the week.
Pollock began a rehab assignment with High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, continued it the following night and was accompanied by Seager. “Just go out there and get their legs under them,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“I think more so for A.J., it’s been quite a while since he’s played. Corey, I think it’s been under three weeks. Just get out there and get their legs under them, take at-bats.”
Pollock went 0-for-3 in his second live-game action since undergoing elbow surgery in early May. Seager was 2-for-2 with an RBI single, and he recorded one putout in his debut with the Quakes.
Both will play multiple games, with Pollock due to receive extended time with Rancho Cucamonga. “With Corey, it’s going to be three games. Friday, Sunday and Monday,” Roberts outlined. “With A.J., it’s a similar program but I think he’s going to have five games with Rancho.”
From there, Pollock and Seager remain scheduled to be activated after the All-Star break and at some point during the Dodgers’ series with the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park from July 12-14. Though, the team will adjust if necessary.
“That’s the plan but if we have to pivot from that, we can,” Roberts explained. “Nothing is set it stone. If they feel they’re ready, if we feel they’re ready, and if not then we’ll just kind of push things back.”
David Freese remains on the mend
When the Dodgers placed David Freese on the 10-day injured list because of a left hamstring strain, Roberts said the expectation was the veteran infielder would return once eligible. Freese’s IL stint was retroactive to June 21, which made this past Sunday the earliest he could be activated.
However, Freese’s hamstring did not respond as expected to treatment, causing the delay. “He’s essentially day-to-day,” Roberts said.
“Did a lot of stuff [Thursday] and he’s going to kind of repeat that [Saturday] as far as running and doing all that stuff. Kind of 75% (recovered). We don’t want to push him. If it happens to be this weekend, great. If it isn’t until we get to Boston, that’s fine, too.”
While Freese was officially placed on the IL due to the hamstring strain, he previously was suffering from tendinitis in his right knee. Roberts surmised the hamstring trouble stemmed from the knee issue.
