Dodgers: The Injury Plagued and Underachieving Outfield

The Field:

Joc Pederson:

I was very excited to see what Joc Pederson would do this year, as he looked poised for a breakout campaign. Well after 18 games of disappointment, Joc went down with a groin injury, and it may be worse than originally thought.

Ideally, Joc is the Dodgers center fielder as he is the best fielder and a solid bat to keep him in the lineup. It was originally announced he would be sidelined for 2-3 weeks, but now I worry it will be longer with the call-up of Cody Bellinger. When Joc comes back he will be the Dodgers center fielder; the question is who will he replace on the roster upon his return.

Trayce Thompson:

Trayce started the year 0-38 between AAA and the majors and still seems like he’s not fully recovered from back surgery. Trayce did look okay in spring training, but we all know how deceiving spring training can be. My hope is that he just needs some time to get back into a baseball routine and he will be okay. Right now, he is best served remaining in AAA to get some at-bats and work off the rust and make sure he’s fully healthy.

Enrique Hernandez:

Kike has been a great surprise for the team his year as he has played in 17 games and had an OBP of .342. I believe he is better served as a reserve for the infield, but I wouldn’t mind he stealing a few starts from the outfield while he is hitting well. For the time being, he has earned himself a spot on the roster, but should not be an everyday starting option for the outfield. I expect him to continue to split time in center field with Andrew Toles until Pederson comes back from the DL. But at this point, I don’t think his roster spot is in question.

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Scott Van Slyke:

I was really rooting for Scott Van Slyke to be a key bench piece for the team this year, but after he’s’ gotten off to a terrible start, he may not be on the team much longer. After suffering through injuries last season Scott looks to be in the same boat as Trayce Thompson as he doesn’t look comfortable on the field. If Scott isn’t able to pick up his .148 batting average soon, he may find himself in AAA or as a piece in a potential trade.

Franklin Gutierrez:

Six games into Franklin’s Dodger career, he went down with a hamstring injury, effectively marking himself as a true Dodger. Franklin was signed this year to do one thing, and one thing only hit lefties. All jokes aside, Franklin should be returning within the next two weeks and will be used as a platoon option to aid with the Dodgers lefty woes.

Andre Ethier:

Basically, Andre is dealing with a herniated disk and could come back as early as June but quite possibly not return at all for the season. I wouldn’t hold my breath on him, but I’ll be optimistic and say he get back before the season ends.

Next: Expectations for Julio Urias

Because of injuries and underwhelming performances, the Dodgers outfield will consist of Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles, and Cody Bellinger.  I dream of some point in the year where we get to see Toles swapped out for Pederson, but for the time being, they will work with what they have.  The Dodgers have tons of outfield talent, and it’s only a matter of if they can all get back on track.  If they can the Dodgers will have a good problem on their hands, but that’s a topic for another day.