While the Los Angeles Dodgers continue to shuffle pitchers in and out of their rotation, the latest of which has Ross Stripling starting on Saturday, Trayce Thompson’s recovery has stalled.
Thompson was placed on the 15-day disabled list July 16, retroactive to July 10, with lower back irritation. Just over one week later Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the injury was more severe than initially realized.
Thompson nonetheless was optimistic he was on the verge of beginning a rehab assignment, potentially while the Dodgers were in Denver for a three-game series.
That didn’t occur, and when it might, is a question mark. “He’s doing his rehab thing and says he feels better,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on Friday.
He stopped short of calling it setback, but it’s clear Thompson is still feeling the effects of his injury. “He’s just doing kind of the core (exercises). We’ve tapered back on the baseball activities to try and get to the root of it (injury) and get him back to health,” Roberts said.
“We just feel to get him to take batting practice and throw isn’t doing him any good. I don’t see his return happening prior to Sept. 1.” On Saturday, Roberts added another scan of Thompson’s back “found some things.”
Thompson is batting .225/.302/.436 with 13 home runs, 32 RBIs, a .318 wOBA and 101 wRC+ in 80 games.
That’s not completely indicative of the success the 25-year-old had earlier in the year when he led the Dodgers in multiple offensive categories including, home runs, slugging percentage and on-base plus slugging.
Thompson appeared in 39 consecutive games from May 31 through July 10. Thompson’s production dropped in June as he played through the lingering back injury. His absence, coupled with Kiké Hernandez also missing time and struggling this season, has impacted the Dodgers’ success, or lack thereof, against left-handed pitching.
