Tommy Edman suffered a small fracture in his right pinky toe after being hit by a pitch on Saturday, which has caused him to be out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup their last three games.
Being placed on the 10-day injured list remains a possibility for Edman, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he is likely to remain on the active roster. Edman is considered day-to-day, with his availability depending on pain tolerance.
Before the injury, Edman was set to take on a larger role at third base. Miguel Rojas has taken over in his stead, but the 30-year-old is expected to be the everyday third baseman once he is healthy again.
In preparation for his position switch, Edman has been taking ground balls at third base as part of his pregame work over the weekend. He came away feeling comfortable as he prepares to start his first game at third base since 2022, according to Jack Harris of the L.A. Times:
“It’s a position I’m comfortable with,” Edman said Friday, after taking grounders at third at the start of his pregame work. “The hops [there] are weird, so you gotta play a little bit more one-handed … But it’s still the infield. You still gotta work on the footwork, just like you would at second and short. Catching the ball, getting behind your throws. It’s a lot of the same concepts.”
In comparison to shortstop or second base, playing at third base does come with more short hops as a result of positioning closer to home plate. The fundamentals for fielding with the front hand, back hand, and charging remain the same, but from a different angle.
Edman has 94 career appearances at third base, with eight games played at the position in 2022. The last time he primarily played third base was during his rookie season, when he made 41 starts and 55 total appearances.
Tommy Edman part of Dodgers injuries
The health of the Dodgers’ pitching staff has been trending up recently, but the opposite has happened for their position player group.
It began with a bone bruise in Max Muncy’s left knee, which will keep him out roughly six weeks. Since then, Edman, Teoscar Hernández and Kiké Hernández are dealing with injuries of their own.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
