UPDATE (May 3, 5 p.m. PT): Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez revealed he aggravated the same bulging disc that required an epidural last season.
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez has not looked like his normal self thus far into the 2017 season, as his .322 slugging percentage is significantly lower than his .490 career mark.
One explanation is the tennis elbow Gonzalez has dealt with since Spring Training. It forced him to miss multiple weeks in camp, and cropped up when Gonzalez returned from the World Baseball Classic. The veteran first baseman also battles chronic neck/pack issues.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided Gonzalez a night in Tuesday’s win over the San Francisco Giants, although he did appear as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning, knocking an RBI single to right field.
“With Adrian, it’s trying to manage his health right now,” Roberts said prior to the contest. “He’s talked about not being 100 percent. With [Tuesday] and the off day Thursday, hopefully it will get him back a little bit.”
With the disabled list shortened from 15 to 10 days this season, Roberts acknowledged that’s a conceivable option, but comes with its own hurdle.
“With a player like Adrian, a guy that’s never been on the disabled list in his career, it says a lot about his character and the will to post,” Roberts explained. “I can only go by his word and the training staff in the sense that he says he feels good enough to play.
“Obviously there is a performance thing, and the bigger issue of if there’s further damage. But in the conversations I’ve had with him, he feels like he can still go out there. I have to continue to count on that, but we’ll see. There’s going to be ongoing conversations.”
Gonzalez has gone homerless is 90 at-bats this season, while hitting .267/.340/.322 with 11 RBIs. His only extra-base hits are five doubles. Gonzalez is expected to return to the lineup Wednesday night in the three-game series finale with the Giants.
If the Dodgers do elect to put Gonzalez on the disabled list for the first time in his 14-year career, they have the luxury of temporarily replacing him with Cody Bellinger, who’s been impressive through his first week in the Majors.
