The Los Angeles Dodgers haven’t yet reached the dog days of summer but multiple players are dealing with nagging injuries. Justin Turner is being cautiously monitored as he recovers from hamstring tightness, and Alex Verdugo was out of the lineup Friday because of back trouble.
Chris Taylor managed to avoid injury despite tripping on the bullpen mound in a loss to the San Francisco Giants, and Corey Seager also shook off tripping on first base and appearing to jam his left leg. Seager, Turner and Verdugo were each in the lineup Saturday, a 7-2 win for the Dodgers.
Although L.A. managed to snap their first two-game losing streak since April 23-24, it came at somewhat of a cost.
According to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Joc Pederson was removed in the eighth inning because of back discomfort:
Joc Pederson left the game with back stiffness, Dave Roberts said.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) June 9, 2019
Pederson started in left field and went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in the leadoff spot. He reached base in the top of the eighth inning on a fielder’s choice and later was thrown out on his attempt to score from third base on a wild pitch. It’s unclear if Pederson’s back issue stemmed from his slide into home plate.
With the Dodgers slated to face Madison Bumgarner in the series finale at Oracle Park, it stands to reason Pederson was not going to be in Sunday’s lineup anyhow. The Dodgers will then head to Anaheim for the Freeway Series before a day off Wednesday.
Pederson has enjoyed a strong season despite being part of a platoon. On the year he’s batting .254/.357/.616 with four doubles, three triples, 18 home runs and 33 RBI in 58 games.
