Already without Chris Taylor because of a fractured left forearm, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost another versatile piece when a left hand sprain forced Kiké Hernandez to the 10-day injured list as well.
Add to it that David Freese remains sidelined by left hamstring trouble that is keeping him out until September, and the Dodgers suddenly faced some depth concerns on the position-player side. They addressed that by acquiring Tyler White and Kristopher Negrón before the July 31 trade deadline.
After Hernandez and Taylor made progress in their respective recoveries, they advanced to beginning rehab assignments. Taylor joined High-A Rancho Cucamonga on Thursday, and Hernandez reported to the Arizona League over the weekend.
Now both are poised to be activated prior to Tuesday’s series opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, according to Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times:
Dodgers utility players Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez are scheduled to come off the injured list Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts said Sunday before the series finale against the Atlanta Braves.
Taylor has started in three games for the Quakes thus far and gone a combined 5-for-10 with one home run, four RBI and one walk. He’s started games at shortstop, second base and as the designated hitter, and is expected to again be in the Quakes lineup on Sunday.
In his last 24 games before the injury, Taylor hit .363/.443/.613 with nine doubles, three home runs and 18 RBI. He estimated the recovery would be four to six weeks, and is tracking to return right in the middle of that timetable.
Hernandez thus far is 1-for-5 with one home run and three RBI in two Arizona League games thus far. He too had found a rhythm at the time of injury, hitting .365/.431/.596 with three doubles, three home runs, 11 RBI and six walks in 17 games (12 starts) during July.
While the Dodgers will certainly welcome both utility players back into the fold, their returns will create a bit of a roster crunch. White was recently placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right trap strain, and optioning Kyle Garlick likely is one domino to fall.
However, a second corresponding move isn’t quite as clear. It may lead to a tough-luck decision for Matt Beaty, who has impressed. Negrón is out of Minor League options.
