The Los Angeles Dodgers plan to activate outfielder Teoscar Hernández from the injured list for Monday’s game in Sacramento, manager Dave Roberts told reporters.
Hernández, 33, has been on the IL since May 29 with a Grade 1 left hamstring strain. The 11-year veteran said at the time that he expected to miss one month and he followed that timetable almost exactly.
Based on his performance during his minor-league rehab assignment, Hernández is ready to return to the Dodgers. In three games with Triple-A Oklahoma City, he’s hit 3 home runs with 6 RBI in 11 plate appearances.
Before going to the IL, Hernández compiled a slash line of .276/.348/.436 with 7 homers, 8 doubles, 31 RBI and 2 stolen bases in 204 PAs. In his absence, Ryan Ward has received the majority of playing time in left field, with Tommy Edman and Andy Call also getting innings. The rookie has logged a .204/.271/.444 triple-slash average in 19 games.
The Dodgers’ plan is to work Hernández back into the lineup slowly, playing three to four games a week, according to The Athletic’s Katie Woo. Edman will then play mostly at second base with Alex Freeland moving to the bench. However, Freeland will see time at third when Max Muncy is out of the lineup.
Before going on the IL, Hernández noted that he didn’t give himself enough time to recover from a left groin injury he suffered last season. After sitting out for two weeks, the groin continued to be an issue and affected his production. He finished with a .247/.284/.484 slash average, his worst numbers in the past six seasons.
Rotating players in and out of the lineup to get some rest will be particularly important before the MLB All-Star break, with the Dodgers playing 14 games in 15 days, including Saturday’s matchup with the San Diego Padres. The team’s only off-day during that stretch will be July 9, prior to a three-game set versus the Arizona Diamondbacks before the break.
Rangers place OF Wyatt Langford on 10-day IL with left hamstring strain, activate Evan Carter
Texas Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford is returning to the injured list with a left hamstring strain, manager Skip Schumaker told reporters on Sunday.
Langford, 24, was scratched from the lineup right before Saturday’s 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
“It was literally right before the game,” Schumaker said, via MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry. “Our trainer came in and let me know. I talked to Wyatt, but I didn’t want to risk it.”
In his third season with the Rangers, Langford missed 39 games from late April to early June with a right forearm strain. He also missed some time with a right quad strain, but did not go on the IL with that injury.
Unfortunately, the outfielder is something of a regular on the IL, previously sidelined five different times with a hamstring strain during his rookie season and oblique strains last year.
However, Langford has been productive when in the lineup. He has 8 home runs, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 20 RBI and 6 stolen bases in 40 games this season, compiling a slash line of .278/.324/.500. Since returning to the lineup in June, Langford batted .317/.371/.634 with 7 homers, 5 doubles and 16 RBI.
Langford’s injury comes as the Rangers close in on the Seattle Mariners for first place in the AL West. Texas has won three straight games and could complete a four-game sweep over Toronto this weekend.
At 41-42, the Rangers are a half-game behind Seattle (42-42) going into Sunday’s MLB slate. Yet Texas currently holds the AL’s third wild-card playoff spot, one game ahead of the Houston Astros and the Athletics.
To fill Langford’s spot on the major-league roster, the Rangers activated Evan Carter from the IL, where he was recovering from a right oblique strain. Before going on the IL, Carter had a .176/.292/.321 slash average with 6 homers, 6 doubles, 21 RBI and 10 steals in 229 plate appearances. He’s played excellent defense in center field, credited with 5 Defensive Runs Saved and 7 Outs Above Average.