Teoscar Hernández was back in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Friday night after not starting four games in a row because of a bone bruise in his left foot.
He’s been limited over the past week after sustaining the minor injury as a result of fouling a pitch off his foot last Saturday. Hernández hadn’t played at all until making a pinch-hit appearance in the series finale against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hernández drew a walk and was immediately replaced by a pinch-runner. That didn’t come as much of a surprise given the nature of his injury, but Hernández also told SportsNet LA reporter Kirsten Watson that running is what’s causing the most trouble:
“It’s a little bit of everything, but running is definitely the one that I feel the most. We use our feet for walking and everything. It’s not going to get 100%, but I feel good enough to be in there, get ready and do something for the team. Help in any way that I can.”
Hernández added that regardless of whatever physical ailments he may be going through, or if mired in a slump, he’s determined to find a way to contribute for the Dodgers:
“It’s hard. I like to play, even through bad moments. I don’t really care about how I’m doing. I want to be in, trying to help any way that I can. It’s hard when you’re going through injuries, especially because you cannot work the way you work. You have to work less, because you don’t want to put too much pressure on the injury that you have.
“Especially with this one, it’s my foot and it’s the front one, so all the weight, all the pressure, is going to land on that. At the same time, trying to be ready, trying to keep going. Hopefully at some point I can get my timing back, my health back, and I can do the things that I know I can do on the field.”
While Hernández made one running catch in foul territory on Friday, he wasn’t able to get to a ball in the gap, and it amounted to a two-run triple. Stacast did rate it as a 20% catch probability.
The bone bruise is at the top of Hernández’s left ankle and has also caused some trouble with a tendon as well. Similar to Max Muncy’s left knee injury, it’s somewhat a matter of pain tolerance for Hernández.
The two are among injuries the Dodgers are suddenly dealing with to multiple position players after the pitching staff has been ravaged through the first half of the season. Kiké Hernández was placed on the 10-day injured list with left elbow inflammation and Tommy Edman suffered a fractured right pinky toe when he was hit by a pitch in the middle game of the Astros series.
Teoscar Hernández’s injuries
Hernández previously dealt with a strained left groin/adductor issue that required a stint on the injured list. There was initial fear that the 32-year-old would miss a significant amount of time but Hernández wound up making a speedy recovery.
However, Hernández has been open about that period still causing an issue with his timing at the plate.
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