Dodgers: AJ Pollock’s comments on Zach McKinstry should excite fans

All aboard the Zach McKinstry train! The Los Angeles Dodgers need someone to fill the Kiké Hernandez role after he left for the Boston Red Sox, and while Chris Taylor will likely do so in 2021, there are question marks beyond this season.

Taylor will be a free agent at year’s end and there’s no telling if he’ll be back, especially with the many other players the Dodgers will need to take care of.

As a result, spring training is the perfect opportunity to explore what other internal talent is capable of.

And a guy like McKinstry fits the bill.

He’s a lefty bat. He can hit for average and power in addition to providing a solid glove at multiple positions (second, shortstop, third and the outfield). It helps that he’s already making an impression on the big leaguers, too.

Just ask AJ Pollock, who had some good things to say about McKinstry on Sunday, when the Dodgers had their spring opener against the Oakland Athletics.

Pollock on McKinstry: "That guy can absolutely flat-out rake."
— Dodger Insider (@DodgerInsider) February 28, 2021

We love to hear that! And this:

#Dodgers AJ Pollock with some high praise for Zach McKinstry: "His bat is definitely going to play in the big leagues, I think."
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) February 28, 2021

We sure hope so, AJ!

McKinstry went 1-for-2 with a single and a run scored in his spring debut, which will be one of many games he’ll play over the course of the next month or so. While it’d be irresponsible to anoint the 25-year-old as Hernandez’s surefire replacement, we can like what we see.

We’ll take a nice-looking single and turning a double play on the defensive side at second base, won’t we?

McKinstry single pic.twitter.com/uvEdP4hlYb
— Future Dodgers (@FutureDodgers) February 28, 2021

The responsible fan will understand that McKinstry has a lot of improving to do with his glove and will need to find a consistent stroke with his bat before he’s elevated in any sort of way. He’s a promising talent no doubt, but the Dodgers have seen plenty of those kinds of guys flame out rather quickly over the years.

The first step in the process, though? It’s looking good when you make some noise in your spring debut and get encouragement from one of the guys on the big league roster.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers will be missing Kiké Hernandez in 2021, so who could replace his production and versatility on the current roster?

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