A season already marred by injury took another disappointing turn for Cody Bellinger last week when he was placed on the 10-day injured list due to a non-displaced fracture in his left ribs.
Bellinger sustained the injury when he collided with Gavin Lux on Sept. 13 and initially played through it before the Los Angeles Dodgers made a roster move eight days later. A timetable was not set for his return and manager Dave Roberts largely deemed it a matter of pain tolerance.
More recently, Roberts said Bellinger had not progressed through the recovery process as first hoped. However, the 26-year-old did manage to participate in batting practice prior to Saturday’s game at Chase Field.
He was encouraged by both that and having a new haircut, via SportsNet LA:
“I feel good. [Saturday] was very promising. Swinging felt great. Throwing was the worst part in Cincinnati because of the motion where the rib was, and that actually felt pretty good [Saturday]. So I would say I’m close. We’ll see how I do [Sunday], then the off day Monday, do some work. …
“My barber out here in Arizona, JD Barba, I was going to get a haircut and I didn’t know if I was going to get it trim, I didn’t know. I sat down in the chair and I was like, ‘Just buzz it. I don’t care. Just fade it, buzz it, do what you do.’ This is what happened, and I really like it. I feel good. The shower was so nice. … Hey, it wasn’t me. It had to have been the hair. Honestly, it was getting annoying. Now I feel fresh.”
Should Bellinger not experience any setback as a result of increasing his level of participation in baseball activities, more work could come Sunday. Bellinger is eligible to be activated Tuesday, but whether that occurs is still unclear.
Roberts confident Bellinger returns
Although the Dodgers aren’t certain when they will be able to reinstate the former National League MVP, Roberts is confident of a return.
“I’m certain he’s not done for the season, I just don’t want to put us or Cody in a situation where there’s an exact time of return because no one knows that,” Roberts said.
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