Dodgers’ injury nightmare sparks roster chaos no one saw coming

In what was perhaps an inevitable development, the injury bug that has ravaged the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching staff all season has finally made its way to the position player group.

Third baseman Max Muncy was the first domino to fall, suffering a bone bruise on his knee last week during a game against the Chicago White Sox that is expected to keep him out for six weeks. Then, on Sunday morning, manager Dave Roberts revealed that two additional players would be sitting out the Dodgers' series finale against the Houston Astros due to injury.

Outfielder Teoscar Hernández is "banged up" after fouling a pitch off his left foot during Saturday's game, Roberts said. An initial scan of the foot was negative, but he was too sore to play and will be reevaluated to determine whether he needs a stint on the 10-day injured list.

Utility man Tommy Edman is dealing with what Roberts called "a toe thing," which was later revealed to be a hairline fracture in his right pinky toe. He's not expected to hit the IL, but it will be difficult for the Dodgers to manage his usage when he is the primary option to fill in for Muncy at third base.

Roberts also revealed after Sunday's game that utility man Kiké Hernández has been playing with left-elbow discomfort for about a month. Unfortunately, he was unable to play through it any longer and now he is headed for the IL. For the moment, he is the only player going on the injured list, but there was a lot of roster movement nonetheless.

Injury scares for 2 more Dodgers proves it’s not just the pitchers getting worn down

These latest injuries leave Roberts without three of his four right-handed hitting reserves, forcing him to turn to a lefty-heavy lineup.

If Teoscar Hernández or Edman end up missing substantial time, the Dodgers may have no choice but to make a roster move to bolster their position player depth. This could come in the form of a minor trade, or it could mean recalling a member of the 40-man roster currently hanging out at Triple-A Oklahoma City. James Outman was an obvious call-up candidate and was made even more obvious with the decision to DFA CJ Alexander.

In the meantime, fans can expect to see a lot more of Miguel Rojas at third base and Michael Conforto in left field – essentially, bandaids on bullet holes – as the Dodgers try to wrap their arms around the gravity of the injuries they're dealing with and find their way back into the win column.

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