Dodgers: 3 injuries that have hurt LAD the most during current slump

1. Cody Bellinger

Forget all this talk about depth and matchups. The Dodgers have been hurt the most by losing Cody Bellinger just a few games after he’d made the arduous trip back from offseason shoulder surgery.

Surgery he received because he … celebrated a home run too powerfully. Breaks of the game.

Of course, Bellinger was felled just four games into his 2021 season by a freak accident while running to first base against the Oakland A’s, and his calf pain ended up being diagnosed as a hairline fracture with an indeterminate timeline for his return.

Bellinger posted one of the most transcendent 23-year-old seasons in MLB history in 2019, ripping 47 homers and slashing .305/.406/.629 while capturing the MVP. We’d really … really like that back right about now instead of having to watch an outfield of Betts, Chris Taylor and Luke Raley. That wasn’t Plan A. It probably wasn’t Plan F.

No need to get overly clinical with our diagnosis here; Bellinger’s the type of player that no team, not even the vaunted Dodgers, can lose for a long stretch without anyone noticing. Mix in Betts’ extended absence during these past few weeks, too, and the outfield picture hasn’t looked nearly as menacing as we anticipated.

Dodgers: 5 players that prove LAD already has its next championship team in the works

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the World Series favorites in 2021 ... and they'll likely hold that distinction for years to come thanks to these young players.