With the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning a five-game road trip on Friday, it also marks the start of respective rehab assignments for Cody Bellinger and Zach McKinstry. Both are expected to be in the lineup for Triple-A Oklahoma City against the Albuquerque Isotopes.
“They’re both ready to go. I think they’re both bored with the rehab and want to get out and play,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
The Dodgers had been targeting this weekend for Bellinger (hairline fracture in left fibula) and McKinstry (right oblique strain) to get back into game action after spending multiple weeks rehabbing at Camelback Ranch.
What remains unclear, however, is how long Bellinger and McKinstry will remain with Oklahoma City. “We’ll just kind of see how it goes,” Roberts reiterated. “Taking at-bats, seeing how they recover being on their feet, and then we’ll kind of read and react then.”
Roberts previously opined McKinstry potentially would return before Bellinger, and possibly once the Dodgers returned from their road trip. That stems from the fact Bellinger hasn’t played much at all this year due to a slow start in Spring Training because of offseason shoulder surgery.
“I think that’s something we, as an organization, are very mindful of. It’s easy to get him back as soon as possible, pencil him in and expect a .900 OPS, but it just doesn’t happen like that,” Roberts said.
“Cody needs to go play, feel good, take competitive at-bats and make sure his timing is right. When that time comes he’ll be ready to help us.”
Dodgers injuries
In addition to waiting on the returns of Bellinger and McKinstry, the Dodgers hope to also welcome back the likes of Scott Alexander, Brusdar Graterol, Corey Knebel, AJ Pollock and Corey Seager, among others.
Alexander’s recovery from right shoulder inflammation is taking longer than initially expected, whereas Graterol and Pollock could be activated within two weeks or so. Meanwhile, Knebel and Seager are both further down the line.
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