The Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to get outfielder Teoscar Hernandez back from injury on Monday, June 29, and manager Dave Roberts recently revealed how the lineup will adjust upon the veteran’s return.
Utilityman Tommy Edman will move from the outfield to second base with Hernandez rejoining the club, Roberts told reporters, including Katie Woo of The Athletic. That decision will bump second baseman Alex Freeland into a part-time role. Freeland will pick up reps at the keystone when Max Muncy sits, with Edman sliding to the hot corner.
The lineup adjustments will only be in place for about half the week, at least to start. Hernandez will be capped at three to four games a week, Roberts said. It’s similar to how Los Angeles brought along Edman when he returned from ankle surgery.
Los Angeles Dodgers Lineup Will Feature Changes For Tommy Edman, Alex Freeland With Teoscar Hernandez Back
Hernandez went down with a hamstring strain near the end of May. The initial recovery timeline suggested he would miss roughly a month, and he’s perfectly on track to hit that goal. Hernandez kicked off a rehab assignment at Triple-A this week. He hit the ground running with Oklahoma City, slugging a home run in each of his first three games with the club. Hernandez has played four games so far with the Comets. It should be more than enough work to be ready to join the big-league club.
After a discouraging start to the season, Hernandez got back on track before the injury. He posted a strong .882 OPS across 83 at-bats in May. The veteran had scuffled to a .701 OPS through the first five weeks of the campaign. Hernandez’s season-long numbers have leveled out to a typical output for the slugger. He has a 118 wRC+ with seven homers and two stolen bases through 51 games.
Edman returned to the team on Wednesday, June 17, for the first time after offseason ankle surgery. He’s off to a tremendous start, picking up multiple hits in four of his first eight appearances. The speedy Edman has yet to steal a base, which is notable, considering he’s coming back from a lower leg procedure and was inactive on the base paths last year.
Freeland has struggled to get on track in the majors this year. He’s posted an 83 wRC+ across 60 games. The 24-year-old had taken over near-regular playing time at second base with Edman out, and Hyeseong Kim demoted. Freeland hasn’t been able to run away with the job, and he’ll now fall into a platoon role.
Hernandez Rejoins a Red-Hot Offense
It’s almost unfair to add Hernandez to the Dodgers’ lineup right now. The club is second in wRC+ and third in OPS against right-handed pitching in June. For the season, Los Angeles ranks second in the league in scoring, behind only the Washington Nationals. Only the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox have hit more home runs than the Dodgers.
Hernandez will likely slot into the back part of the order. While he had dropped down to the bottom third of the lineup before the injury, a strong performance to begin July could see him move up.
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