The Los Angeles Dodgers suffered another injury to their position player group when Teoscar Hernández strained his left hamstring on Wednesday.
Hernández suffered the injury while running to first base on a groundout in the bottom of the second inning. He walked back slowly to the dugout and was visibly frustrated before going into the clubhouse and being replaced in the third inning.
Hernández underwent manual testing on Wednesday, with encouraging results. He then went for an MRI on Thursday, which revealed he has a Grade 1 strain.
“Teo, we lose to a left hamstring,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts began. “Had the scans, it turned out to be a Grade 1 hamstring strain, which is a positive. So just imagine that it would be a little bit shorter than originally thought. Still don’t really have a timeline for Teo.”
The initial belief was Hernández would be out for a few weeks at a minimum. That is likely to remain the plan as the Dodgers won’t push Hernández or rush him back.
Still, it’s unclear exactly how long he’ll be out, but a Grade 1 strain typically takes one to three weeks to recover. That is a far faster timeline than a Grade 2 strain, which can require a recovery period of one to two months, while a complete tear takes at least two months and usually longer.
Dodgers’ left field plans without Teoscar Hernández
With Hernández landing on the 10-day injured list, the Dodgers recalled Ryan Ward from Triple-A Oklahoma City. He is expected to split time with Alex Call to fill in as the primary options in left field.
“I think for me it’s not just a complete platoon,” Roberts said. “I see Ryan Ward taking some at-bats versus right. I see Alex Call taking the at-bats versus left.”
Ward has been a plus-hitter at the Triple-A level, but he has been known as a below-average defender. During his first stint with the club, the Dodgers only used Ward at first base, and he’s primarily played there recently in Oklahoma City.
Still, the Dodgers believe he can handle left field at the MLB level.
“I feel good,” Roberts said. “He’s not going to be an 80 (grade) defender out there, but I feel like he’s played enough out there over the last few years that he can hold it down and he’ll be fine out there.”
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