There was some surprise when the Los Angeles Dodgers signed A.J. Pollock to a five-year, $60 million contract during the offseason. Not only was it the richest deal Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman doled out for an external free agent, but Pollock has a checkered injury history.
He and the Dodgers largely attributed that to tough luck, with Friedman noting most of the injures Pollock endured throughout his career were soft tissue. Whether more misfortune or Pollock perhaps being injury-prone, trouble arose by the end of April.
A cut in Pollock’s elbow became infected and required surgery to remove hardware that was inserted during a prior operation to stabilize the joint. A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC line) was inserted in Pollock’s left bicep to administer antibiotics.
His level of activity had to remain at a minimum until it was removed mid-June. Pollock’s rehab process quickly accelerated after that point, and he was reinstated from the 60-day injured list prior to the series opener against the Boston Red Sox.
Pollock has made consecutive starts at Fenway Park, collecting at least one hit each night, and is pleased with his health and results thus far, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com
“It’s only two games, but I like where I’m at,” Pollock said. “Physically, feel great, my legs feel really good and I’m in a good place health-wise. Hopefully I can have different results than my first go-round. It’s fun to get back. It’s a great group to be part of.”
Pollock had just one hit in the Dodgers’ loss, but he then went 2-for-4 with an RBI single and home run in their 11-2 win on Saturday. Pollock’s base hit gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the first inning, and his solo homer completed back-to-back blasts with Cody Bellinger in the seventh.
Pollock had a strong first week of the 2019 season before his production began to wane and become inconsistent. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts nonetheless remained committed to the veteran as the club’s everyday center fielder, and made it clear Pollock would resume with those duties upon returning.
Should the 31-year-old not only manage to remain healthy but produce for the remainder of the year and into a likely postseason berth, it will give the Dodgers another right-handed bat to complement Justin Turner.
