Dodgers finally get clarity on Jason Heyward injury and make corresponding roster move

The Dodgers completed their sweep of the Giants on Wednesday, giving them a decisive hold on the division toward the end of the first full week of play. Mookie Betts currently leads the entire league in every conceivable stat — batting average, OBP, slugging, home runs, RBI — Shohei Ohtani hit his first home run as a Dodger, Teoscar Hernández is hitting bombs, and even Miguel Rojas is off to a powerful start.

But notably sidelined is Jason Heyward, who's only played in two games since the Dodgers returned to the States, first on Opening Day and then one more time on Saturday. He wasn't at the game at all on Monday, absent in favor of an appointment to get his back checked out after reporting stiffness.

In the days since, the Dodgers picked up former top prospect Taylor Trammell from the Mariners after he was DFA'ed earlier this week. It was a pretty conspicuous move at the outset because of its timing, just after Heyward seemed to be going the way of the IL, but now we officially have moves to report: Heyward was moved to the 10-day IL and Trammell was called up to replace him.

Jason Heyward moved to Dodgers' 10-day IL, new signing Taylor Trammell called up

Trammell getting the tap isn't necessarily surprising, but it is still curious that the Dodgers decided to look outside the organization for a replacement for Heyward instead of calling up Miguel Vargas or Andy Pages, both currently in Triple-A. Vargas, with 81 games of major league experience, is off to a hot start in Oklahoma City; he already has three home runs and 12 RBI. Pages is faring a little worse, but he's coming off breakout appearances in spring training that had some fans calling for a major league move out of camp.

Trammell, on the other hand, is looking for a resurgence. He was the Reds' No. 2 prospect in 2019 but never found life in the majors. He'll undoubtedly start at the very bottom of the Dodgers' lineup, if not on the bench, but all parties will be hoping this sparks new life in him.