While the Los Angeles Dodgers have multiple players who provide versatility, none do so more than Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor. Unfortunately for the Dodgers, they’ve gone several weeks without either on the active roster.
Taylor was first to go down, as he suffered a non-displaced fracture in his left forearm after being hit by a pitch July 14. A fluoroscopy at Fenway Park did not reveal the injury, but an MRI did as Taylor underwent further examination the following day because of persisting pain.
Meanwhile, Hernandez was removed from a game on July 25 due to what was later diagnosed as a left hand sprain. The Dodgers have not offered much detail on Hernandez’s injury, though one report suggested he could remain on the 10-day injured list into September.
As Hernandez and Taylor recently resumed baseball activities, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said they now are poised to begin rehab assignments this weekend, according to Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
Dave Roberts said Kiké Hernández and Chris Taylor will begin rehab assignments this weekend. Probably in Arizona before going to an affiliate.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) August 14, 2019
Taylor projected his recovery would be four to six weeks, which has him just past the early stages of that timetable. In his last 24 games before suffering the injury, Taylor batted .363/.443/.613 with nine doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI.
Hernandez had similarly begun to turn a corner after a rough stretch, as he hit .365/.431/.596 with three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and six walks in 17 games (12 starts) during July heading into the night of his injury.
Without their two options as a backup shortstop to Corey Seager, the Dodgers acquired Kristopher Negrón in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. That came after a stretch of three games that saw L.A. keep Hernandez on the active roster despite being limited to playing the field or serving as a pinch-runner.
With Hernandez and Taylor on the mend, the Dodgers remain on track to get back to full health come September. Jedd Gyorko is expected to make his debut with the club in the near future, and David Freese should be reinstated from the IL once active rosters expand.
