Sooner or later, the Dodgers hope, they are going to have the ability to area a totally wholesome lineup.
A late scratch on Wednesday to catcher Will Smith, nevertheless, meant it must wait no less than a pair extra days.
Regardless of activating Tommy Edman from the injured listing pregame, and continuing to comb the Colorado Rockies with a 9-0 win that stretched their Nationwide League West lead to a few video games, the Dodgers had been left coping with one other harm headache Wednesday, eradicating Smith from the beginning lineup simply quarter-hour earlier than first pitch after swelling developed across the bone bruise he has been coping with in his proper hand.
“Not overly involved,” supervisor Dave Roberts stated of Smith’s standing, “however we’ve acquired to get that swelling underneath wraps.”
Smith’s absence hardly hampered the Dodgers of their fourth straight win.
Their lineup exploded for 4 runs within the second inning and 5 within the eighth behind an enormous evening from Mookie Betts, who continued his latest tear with a four-for-five, five-RBI efficiency that included a run-scoring double early and a grand slam to place issues away late. Betts is now on a 16-game on-base streak, has a number of RBIs in five-straight contests, and is batting .352 with seven dwelling runs and 26 RBIs over his final 32 video games.
Behind the plate, Ben Rortvedt crammed in to catch Blake Snell’s scoreless six-inning, 11-strikeout begin, which continued a dominant run from a Dodgers’ rotation that now has a 1.18 ERA over the past six video games.
And due to a loss earlier within the day by the San Diego Padres, the staff grew its lead atop the division for a second day in a row, successfully taking a 3-½ recreation NL West lead (when accounting for its head-to-head tiebreaker over San Diego) with 16 video games to play.
“That was an enormous dwelling collection sweep, to get us going … get us transferring in the fitting route,” Snell stated. “All of us have been trying ahead to getting it going. This was a very good step.”
But, after activating Max Muncy off the injured listing Monday, and welcoming Edman again into the fold Wednesday afternoon, the Dodgers had been lastly on the verge of getting a full-strength squad for the primary time since early July.
As a substitute, they had been reminded of the tenuous actuality of their oft-injured roster — and the issue of making an attempt to handle Smith’s hand particularly.
It had solely been per week since Smith first acquired harm, when a foul ball in Pittsburgh ricocheted off his dangling throwing hand behind the plate and left him with a bone bruise that sidelined him till Tuesday — although didn’t require an injured listing stint. Smith had seemed OK in his return to motion that evening, lining a double in his first at-bat whereas serving to Emmet Sheehan carry a no-hitter into the sixth. He was again within the unique lineup the Dodgers posted Wednesday, as they sought a collection sweep over the 106-loss Rockies.
The problem, it appeared, is perhaps behind him.
However then, when the Dodgers emerged from the dugout Wednesday evening, it was Rortvedt who went to squat behind dwelling plate.
“Actually quarter-hour earlier than the sport, as he’s preparing, his hand began to swell up,” Roberts stated. “After [his pregame] hitting, getting dressed, preparing for the sport, that’s when it began to indicate itself. He tried to get on the market and throw. It simply didn’t reply properly.”
After Smith first acquired harm, Roberts cautioned his harm may linger for the remainder of the season. After Wednesday, he stated the staff would monitor Smith on Thursday’s off day –– and probably ship him for an MRI –– then determine on Friday whether or not he’ll play on this weekend’s series-opener in San Francisco.
“We’ve acquired to ensure it doesn’t occur once more,” Roberts stated.
Miguel Rojas slides dwelling to attain a run within the second inning.
(Eric Thayer/Eric Thayer For The Los Angeles)
Smith’s hand received’t be the one harm the Dodgers (82-64) should handle down the stretch.
Whereas Edman returned from an ankle harm that had plagued him all yr, and sidelined him since its personal flare-up on Aug. 3, Roberts stated pregame he was nonetheless curious to see how the utilityman seemed.
Edman slotted in middle area on Wednesday — the place he tracked down a fly ball on the sport’s first pitch — and can probably see most of his enjoying time there for no less than the foreseeable future. Roberts famous that, not like earlier this yr when Edman was primarily restricted to infield duties, the fast reactions required at second base is perhaps harder on his ankle now.
“Getting off the ball is one thing I’m going to be actually conscious of watching,” Roberts stated of Edman. “As soon as he will get to full velocity, it’s so much simpler [to decide what he can handle].”
With Edman in middle, the Dodgers additionally ran out a brand new outfield alignment, with Andy Pages transferring to left area and Michael Conforto dropping to the bench.
Roberts stated Conforto will nonetheless see enjoying time in opposition to right-handed pitchers (the Rockies began left-hander Kyle Freeland on Wednesday). He additionally didn’t shut the door on ultimately flipping Pages (who had three hits Wednesday, together with an RBI double within the second to open the scoring) and Teoscar Hernández (who went deep within the eighth for his third dwelling run within the final two nights) within the corners, although famous he’s maintaining Hernández in proper for now due to his improved defensive play in latest weeks.
“Teo performed the season final yr in left area, so we’ve proven that we are able to win a championship with him in left area,” Roberts stated. “Not fairly there but, however fascinated by it.”
Regardless of the transferring items, all of it introduced the Dodgers nearer to the lineup they envisioned having firstly of this season, the one they’ve floundered with offensively (getting into the evening ranked simply twenty sixth within the majors in scoring since July 4) whereas enjoying with out.
“I believe that we’ve all been ready for our guys to come back again to well being and see what we appear to be,” Roberts stated.
Nonetheless, they received’t be at full power once more till Smith is. Wednesday was a reminder that his well being stays unsure.
Subsequent steps for Sasaki
After his much-improved rehab outing with triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis on Tuesday, Roki Sasaki was en route again to Los Angeles on Wednesday to fulfill with membership officers about what his subsequent steps might be.
Roberts stated that would embrace discovering the rookie right-hander, who lastly rediscovered his 100-mph fastball Tuesday after missing velocity and battling a shoulder harm beforehand this yr, a chance to start out a big-league recreation for the primary time since April. Or, probably pitching out of the bullpen, which is how the 23-year-old would probably be used if he had been to be included on the postseason roster.
Earlier than that latter situation may develop into actuality, in fact, the Dodgers might want to see Sasaki have some type of success again within the majors, the place he had a 4.72 ERA in eight begins originally of the season earlier than occurring the IL.
Nonetheless, Roberts described Sasaki’s rehab outing on Tuesday as “nice for the Dodgers, nice for Roki’s confidence, nice for the group.
“Largely it was nice for Roki,” Roberts added. “Simply to actually let it eat, let it fly, have some success and know that he will be the man that he’s identified to be.”
