On the night Joc Pederson collided with Yasiel Puig in right-center field, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Pederson sustained a sprained neck, bumps and bruises, and passed concussion tests.
However, Pederson’s condition regressed and he was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list the following day. Pederson is eligible to be activated Wednesday, though Roberts isn’t expecting his center fielder to return on the club’s seven-game road trip.
“Every day is getting a little better, but there’s some sort of haze going on,” Roberts said on Sunday.
Pederson was instructed to avoid bright lights, television and using his cell phone. He’s since been cleared to join the Dodgers in the dugout on a minimal basis, though the club has not pressed that issue.
Pederson is batting .200/.309/.314 with six doubles, two home runs and 11 RBI over 35 games. In his absence the Dodgers have turned to Chris Taylor.
He began playing center field for the first time in his career during Spring Training, and he played the position in three games with Triple-A Oklahoma City prior to joining the Dodgers.
Taylor made his sixth start in center field in Monday’s series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
While a date or timeline for Pederson’s return remains unknown, it’s possible Justin Turner will come off the disabled list while the Dodgers are on the road.
