Dodgers' corresponding Teoscar Hernandez roster move emphasizes trade deadline must

The Dodgers reactivated Teoscar Hernández on Monday, exactly a month after he went onto the IL with a hamstring strain.

As far as Dodgers injuries tend to go, it was a fairly quick and efficient stint for him from start to finish. He spent four games in Triple-A Oklahoma City on his rehab assignment and posted a 1.170 OPS thanks to home runs in three consecutive games. He went hitless in his last game but walked twice.

There was really only one answer as to who would be sent down upon Hernández's return, so it surprised no one when the Dodgers optioned Ryan Ward back to Triple-A.

It's been obvious from the beginning that Ward will only ever get opportunities when a full-time Dodger is for some reason indisposed. His two-game debut stint only ever happened because Freddie Freeman went onto the paternity list, and the 18 games he's logged since then are because of Hernández's absence.

The Dodgers will never consciously make space for Ward no matter what kind of big league potential he may have. With the trade deadline just over a month away, the front office has the perfect way to get him somewhere he'll get more runway and get a little something in return.

Dodgers need to trade Ryan Ward after they optioned him to bring back Teoscar Hernández

The Dodgers have done these kinds of mercy trades before. Michael Busch, Miguel Vargas, and Gavin Lux are all great examples of players who got some runway in LA and were stunted by their lack of everyday playing time. The Dodgers have even less opportunity to play Ward, if that's even possible.

Busch and Vargas have blossomed into truly productive major leaguers, and the Dodgers aren't exactly complaining about the returns they got — top prospects Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope for Busch, and Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech for Vargas.

LA just has a certain way of coming out on the other end of these trades very well, but in the case of Busch and Vargas, it's a pretty event split with the teams they dealt with.

Ward has far less experience than any of them did before they were let go, so the Dodgers might not be able to get quite as much back in return, but the idea is the same. Let the kid move on and sink or swim in a place that'll actually give him real time to do either.

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