Heading into the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers boasted quality depth throughout the organization in preparation for any injury that may occur.
Needless to say, that strategy was immediately put to the test with severale notable players enduring disabled list stints at some point during the first three months of the season.
With a 51-40 record heading into the unofficial second half of 2016, let’s look at how each bench player has fared thus far.
Austin Barnes: The versatile catcher appeared in 10 games for the Dodgers, recording just two hits in 19 at-bats with a .105/.227/.105 slash line.
Carl Crawford: With Andre Ethier on the disabled list for the foreseeable future, Crawford was slated to benefit the most from his absence with additional playing time in left field.
However, he hit just .185 in 81 at-bats with subpar defense and was eventually released after being designated for assignment in early June.
Charlie Culberson: Appearing in 15 games and making 28 plate appearances, Culberson slashed .259/.286/.333 with two doubles and also provided solid defense in the outfield.
A.J. Ellis: In his ninth season with the Dodgers, Ellis batted just .195 but sported an on-base percentage over 100 points higher at .298 in 134 plate appearances.
Kiké Hernandez: Looking to replicate his success from the 2015 season, Hernandez hit just .189 with five home runs in 127 at-bats and ended the first half on the disabled list.
Micah Johnson: In just three appearances, Johnson made outs in each trip to the plate and has otherwise spent this season with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Chris Taylor: Swapped in a trade for Zach Lee with the Seattle Mariners, Taylor batted just .188 with a .235 on-base percentage in 17 plate appearances.
Trayce Thompson: Acquired during the offseason from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team trade, Thompson quickly emerged as a legitimate power bat off the bench, slugging 13 home runs and 11 doubles in 236 at-bats.
Andrew Toles: A former top prospect with the Tampa Bay Rays, Toles was promoted to the Majors prior to the All-Star break in the wake of another injury and took advantage of his opportunity.
He doubled in his first career at-bat and overall hit .286/.286/.429 in seven trips to the plate.
Scott Van Slyke: Missing most of April and the entire month of May due a back injury that sent him to the disabled list, Van Slyke hasn’t been able to return to form thus far.
In 65 plate appearances, he recorded just five extra-base hits with a .584 on-base plus slugging percentage. On the bright side, his splits against left-handed pitchers remain solid, as evidenced by his terrific .278/.350/.556 slash line.
Will Venable: The long-time San Diego Padres outfielder joined the Dodgers in mid-June but immediately struggled out of the gate. In 12 games (19 plate appearances), he slashed .056/.105/.111 and recorded just one hit.
