Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez is set to start his rehab assignment Tuesday, per Katie Woo of The Athletic.
Hernandez’s rehab assignment will last 4-5 games according to Woo, and he could return before the Dodgers’ final series of June against the Athletics if it goes smoothly.
The outfielder has been on the injured list since May 29, as he suffered a Grade 1 strain in his left hamstring. Hernandez pulled up after trying to beat out a throw to first base at the end of May against the Colorado Rockies, and promptly left the game.
Hernandez had just begin to find his stride prior to his injury, and had a fantastic month of May following a slow start. His OPS sat just over .700 at the end of April, and he managed to raise that number to .784 by the time he landed on the injured list. He batted .325 in May, crushing three homers and driving in 14 runs.
Over the course of the month, Hernandez had a .882 OPS.
Who Replaced Teoscar Hernandez?
Ryan Ward has stepped in for Hernandez since his injury, and has been a serviceable bat for the Dodgers in the outfield. He hit his first MLB home run in the first game he played after coming back to the majors, and has since gotten a hit in all but five of his 14 games since coming up.
On the year, he has a .239/.314/.522 slash line, good for a .836 OPS. He has three homers and 11 RBIs.
While Ward has been impressive for the Dodgers since coming back to MLB, he could be on the chopping block when Hernandez returns from his injury.
The Dodgers have five outfielders on their roster at the moment if you include the recently-returned Tommy Edman, and they’ll likely move one of them to make room for Hernandez. Ward and Alex Call are the most likely candidates, but Call is yet to go down to the minors since his arrival in LA, while Ward has jumped between the levels all season.
If he can continue to produce on offense, though, the Dodgers may have to make a difficult choice.
Who would you send down when Teoscar Hernandez returns?
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