Teoscar Hernández's return signals end of road for this former Dodgers top prospect

To the surprise of absolutely no one, James Outman's first stint in the majors has proven to be a short one. On Monday, the Dodgers reactivated Teoscar Hernández, who went onto the IL with an adductor strain on May 6, and sent Outman down as the corresponding move.

This was pretty much always going to happen, even if Outman had somehow managed to look fantastic at the plate after he was called back up. Luckily, he didn't make the decision difficult for the Dodgers in the slightest; he batted .125 with a .597 OPS over nine games and struck out in over half of his at-bats. He did pick up two homers — one a 416-foot bomb against the Marlins — but that was never going to be enough to save him.

Hernández managed to spend almost the minimum amount of time on the 10-day IL before he was reinstated, and the Dodgers desperately need him after suffering an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Angels this weekend, the first time that's happened since 2010.

The next time Outman actually comes back to the majors is anyone's guess, but we shouldn't really hope for it, given that the only way it would happen is in the event of another untimely injury.

Dodgers option James Outman as Teoscar Hernández makes his much-needed return from the IL

Outman has reportedly been at the center of trade talks between the Dodgers and White Sox that feature Luis Robert Jr. as the return player. The Sox are apparently "intrigued" by Outman, but this short run in the majors could have them rethinking that (though, granted, beggars can't really be choosers).

It still seems likely that Outman is traded sometime this season, though, which would perhaps be a more dignified end than most alternatives. He'll be out of minor league options after this year, so if the Dodgers keep him and continue to call him up as a stopgap in 2026, they would have to DFA him to get him off of the roster.

What happened to Outman after he placed third in 2023 Rookie of the Year voting is still a mystery, and it seems likely to stay that way. This stint, combined with his lackluster 2024 season, has proven that he's just not going to be able to carve out a place for himself on one of the most competitive rosters in baseball.