The Dodgers are staring at a familiar kind of problem: one right-handed bat goes down, and suddenly the pressure gets cranked up on the rest of the lineup to carry more of the load.
Andy Pages is the latest piece to fall out of the mix. Last week, he suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates starter Bubba Chandler. Since then, Pages has had a “minor procedure” to insert a screw into his hand, and he’s expected back in four to five weeks.
That’s a tough break for a player who was tracking toward career-best numbers across the board. Pages was on pace to set personal highs in doubles, homers, RBI and on-base plus slugging percentage before the injury. For a Dodgers offense that hasn’t gotten much from right-handed hitters lately, losing that kind of production hurts.
Manager Dave Roberts made it clear where he wants the response to come from: Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts.
“We got to get Teo going,” Roberts began. “I like his work; it just certainly hasn’t translated to the field consistently.
Mookie, I think, is in a much better spot. Certainly, when you take on some left-handers, some tough lefties, you’re going to need that production from those right-hand hitters too.”
Hernández has been a big part of what the Dodgers have done in recent seasons, but he’s in the middle of a rough stretch right now. Since coming off the injured list at the end of June, he’s hit just .206/.253/.335 with six doubles, one triple, four home runs and 13 RBI in 166 plate appearances over 45 games.
The split has been even more notable against right-handers. Hernández has said he’s focused on improving there, and the numbers back up the concern: he has a .662 on-base plus slugging against righties, compared with a .783 OPS against left-handed pitching.
Betts, meanwhile, has been one of the Dodgers’ most productive hitters this month. Since Aug. 5, he’s batting .297/.357/.484 with three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI in 17 games. Betts has said the work he’s putting in behind the scenes has brought him closer to getting his swing where he wants it.
There’s another reinforcement on the way, too. With Pages out for the next month, the Dodgers are hopeful Will Smith can give the lineup a lift once he comes off the injured list.
“It’s huge,” Roberts said of Smith’s imminent return. “I mean, I think he’s really hand agnostic, but just his at-bat quality behind the plate, just getting in the lineup, and certainly, yeah, you lose a right-handed bat like Andy, to have Will back in there, certainly raises our floor.”
Smith is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Tuesday and could be back with the Dodgers when rosters expand at the start of September.
In Other News...
Dodgers Just Gave Another Dodger Stadium Spot A New Identity
The Dodgers keep finding new ways to reshape the in-stadium experience, and the latest one comes through a multi-year partnership with Kalshi. The company is now the teams official and exclusive prediction market partner, with its branding set to show up around Dodger Stadium as the club continues leaning into premium fan spaces and sponsor-driven upgrades.
The most visible change comes at the old Gold Glove Bar, which has been renamed the Kalshi 435 Club. The space includes a view into the Dodgers bullpen and can host up to 150 seated guests or 250 for receptions, making it another private-event option in a ballpark that has steadily expanded the ways fans can experience a game beyond their seats. [Read more 🡒]
Kik Hernndez Found An Unexpected Way To Handle Time Away
Time on the injured list can make even the busiest player feel disconnected from the daily rhythm of a season, so Kik Hernndez found a hobby that gives him something to chase. The Dodgers infielder has gotten into collecting trading cards, especially Pokmon cards, and the new routine has become more than just a distraction. He even started a channel called Pokikmon, turning the pastime into something he can share, and enjoy, with his daughter while he works through recovery.
The appeal is easy to see for a player trying to stay mentally engaged while the physical side sorts itself out. Hernndez has already landed some impressive pulls, including a Japanese Sabrinas Gengar graded 10, but the hunt is still part of the fun. One card remains on the wish list, and the fact that he is still looking for it says plenty about how much this has become a real project, not just a way to pass the time. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Suddenly Have Another Roki Sasaki Concern
Roki Sasakis latest start for the Dodgers took an unwelcome turn against the Braves when he left in the fourth inning with what appeared to be an injury, possibly a blister on one of his fingers. The right-hander had been working through the outing after allowing four runs on four hits while striking out three over 3.1 innings before Edgardo Hernandez came on to finish the frame.
For a team that has been trying to get Sasaki settled in, any interruption matters, especially one that raises questions about his hand. The Dodgers will be watching closely to see whether this is a brief setback or the kind of issue that lingers, because their rotation picture is already important enough without adding another concern around one of their most closely followed young arms. [Read more 🡒]