The Los Angeles Dodgers are finding their groove again, but the injury bug keeps biting at the worst possible times. Their lineup depth is getting tested once again.
Take Kiké Hernández. The utility man just returned from offseason elbow surgery, only to suffer an oblique injury in his second game back.
That’s the cruel reality of baseball sometimes.
“Just as quickly as the Los Angeles Dodgers got Kiké Hernandez back into the lineup, the veteran utility man was taken away. Hernandez had just been activated off the 60-day injured list following offseason elbow surgery, and will now be out for the foreseeable future due to an oblique injury.”
But wait, there’s more. Teoscar Hernández went down earlier this week with what looked like a leg injury. The frustration was written all over his face.
You could see how upset he was in the dugout. Dodgers Nation captured the moment: “Teoscar Hernández was very upset in the Dodgers dugout after appearing to injure his left leg in tonight’s game. He slammed his helmet in frustration and Dave Roberts was shaking his head.”
The tests came back showing a hamstring strain. Not the worst news, but not great timing either.
Hernández is taking the smart approach here. He’s looking at roughly a month to return, though it could be sooner since it’s only a Grade 1 strain. The key thing? He’s not rushing back.
“Teoscar Hernández said his timeline to return is roughly a month. Since he only had a Grade 1 hamstring strain, he added that it could be sooner — but that he’s also not gonna rush his recovery, to make sure it doesn’t become a lingering problem this year.”
That’s the right call. Hamstring injuries have a nasty habit of becoming recurring issues if you don’t let them heal properly.
What’s working in the Dodgers’ favor is their organizational depth. When guys like Hernández go down, they’ve got options ready to step up. It’s one of the things that separates contenders from pretenders.
Still, losing two key players in the span of a few days isn’t ideal for any team, especially when you’re trying to build momentum. But the Dodgers have dealt with injury adversity before this season.
The smart money says they’ll let Hernández take all the time he needs. He’s going to be crucial down the stretch, and there’s no point risking a setback that could sideline him for even longer.
