While the Los Angeles Dodgers added Adam Kolarek to their 25-man active roster on Thursday, there’s a bit of a waiting game with Jedd Gyorko, their other acquisition at the trade deadline.
For starters, Gyorko is not yet eligible to be reinstated until next week. Though, he presumably will still be on a rehab assignment that is set to begin this weekend with Double-A Tulsa.
“I feel ready, my body feels good, just have to go out and get my timing back,” Gyorko said. “I’m not sure how long it’s going to take but hopefully not too long. I think a lot of it is just going to depend on how I feel, how things progress.
“I don’t want to set a certain date because you never know if that’s what it’s going to be. I would expect somewhere around a week to 10 days.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts estimated his new infielder will require 40 to 50 at-bats in Minor League action. After spending some time with the Drillers, the expectation is for Gyorko to move his rehab assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The 30-year-old was limited to just 38 games with the Cardinals this season. He began the year on the 10-day injured list due to a right calf strain, then was sidelined June 8 because of a lower back strain.
He suffered a left calf strain while on rehab and took that time to have a bone spur removed from his right wrist that had ailed him for multiple years when swinging a bat. The Cardinals transferred Gyorko to the 60-day IL on July 30.
“The back just tightened up during one game. I was fine the very next day. I guess they had a roster decision they had to make and it just kind of built up from there,” Gyorko explained.
“I was about to come back and my calf flared up, so when that happened I had my wrist fixed while I was at it. Kind of restarted and now everything is feeling really good. Looking back, it sucked, but now I’m happy with the decision I made.”
Despite the multiple injuries, Gyorko is confident health is not an issue. “I don’t have any concerns going out on rehab,” he said. “I feel like I’m ready to go, ready to play. If I had any concerns, they probably wouldn’t send me out. I feel good.”
Whenever Gyorko is reinstated, Roberts envisions utilizing him in a utility role similar to what Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor have filled. “We’ll move him around the diamond, right-handed bat off the bench,” Roberts said.
