Unexpected outfielder appearing in Dodgers' locker room hinted at grim roster move

Ahead of the Dodgers' Wednesday matchup against the Mets, Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic reported that Esteury Ruiz was in LA's clubhouse. It hinted at a roster move, likely an IL stint for an outfielder. Ardaya noted that Tommy Edman "appeared to tweak something a couple days back" and Hyeseong Kim had fouled a ball off his leg on Tuesday.

However, the game went forward without Ruiz, Kim, or Edman; Kiké Hernández started at second base and Andy Pages started in center. Dave Roberts initially confirmed that Edman had an issue with his ankle, the same issue that led to an IL stint earlier this season, and Ruiz was with the team on taxi, but said after the game that Edman would return to second on Thursday, as the soreness he was experiencing had improved throughout the day. Ardaya also added that Kim was "fine" after the foul ball.

Ruiz presumably went right back to Oklahoma City given both of those updates, but Kim's exclusion from the lineup as a lefty bat against the Mets' righty starter did raise some eyebrows.

Esteury Ruiz surfaced in Dodgers' clubhouse on Wednesday, suggesting bad news for Tommy Edman or Hyeseong Kim

The Dodgers might've just wanted to give Kim a day off in order to proceed with absolute caution, but Kim has (frustratingly) been excluded from lineups against righty pitchers before. It's usually been in favor of batting the switch-hitting Edman, but if Edman wasn't available and Kim was actually fine, then it could've just been a questionable decision on Roberts' part.

The Mets won the third game of the series 6-1, leaving the Dodgers to try to salvage a series split on Thursday. The Dodgers went scoreless through eight innings and left six runners on base, with Andy Pages only barely managing to stave off a shutout with a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth.

So Edman should be back in the lineup for the series finale, but we probably shouldn't expect to see Kim, given Mets probable starter David Peterson is a lefty. Ruiz, acquired in a trade with the Athletics in early April and is hitting decently in Triple-A, will have to keep waiting for his next shot at the major league level. A potential Edman/Kim crisis seems to have been averted.