MIAMI — The Dodgers will be without the major league’s RBI leader for an extended period of time.
Teoscar Hernandez underwent an MRI on Tuesday that revealed a Grade 1 strain of the adductor muscle in his left thigh. Hernandez suffered the injury while running for a ball in the gap during Monday’s game against the Miami Marlins.
Hernandez was placed on the injured list on Tuesday but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said there is no timetable at this point for when Hernandez might be able to return.
“It’s certainly weeks,” Roberts said. “But I just don’t know how long. I don’t know.”
Signed to a three-year, $66 million contract that brought him back after his All-Star season in 2024, Hernandez was off to an even better start this season. He was batting .315 with nine home runs and a .933 OPS and led the majors with 34 RBIs through Monday.
Hernandez’s subtraction puts a large hole in a Dodgers’ lineup that has been heavily reliant on the top four hitters in the order. James Outman was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take Hernandez’s roster spot, but the Dodgers certainly don’t expect him to replace Hernandez.
“He’s had a huge impact,” Roberts said of Hernandez. “I just think it’s going to be more of a platoon-based roster right now and we’ll kind of go from there.
“A guy that can take professional at-bats, drive in runs – he’s certainly going to be missed.”
Outman opened the 2024 season as the Dodgers’ primary center fielder but slumped badly and spent most of the season in Triple-A. He made some significant swing changes over the winter but didn’t make the Dodgers’ roster out of spring training. He got off to a slow start in Triple-A and was hitting .254 with eight home runs and an .830 OPS in 32 games at OKC but struck out 53 times in 146 at-bats.
“The last couple weeks he’s been very productive, taking good at-bats. So hopefully that continues here,” Roberts said.
“It (Outman’s swing) looked different early and then I just felt he started pressing in the middle of spring training and it became more mental versus mechanical to be quite honest.”
Roberts also said “it’s unlikely” that utility man Tommy Edman will be ready to return from his ankle injury this weekend as hoped.
Edman stretched a tendon in his ankle on a slide last week. He has been able to continue hitting in the cage but still feels discomfort when he tries to run.
“It’s just not responding. It’s just kind of slow moving,” Roberts said.
With Hernandez and Edman both out of the lineup, there could be more of an opportunity for Hyeseong Kim and Outman to get more playing time and a longer look at the major-league level.
“I think so. With Teo and Tommy not knowing when they’ll be back, they’re going to get a little runway, sure,” Roberts said.
PITCHING SHUFFLE
The Dodgers recalled right-hander J.P. Feyereisen from Triple-A OKC and designated right-hander Yoendrys Gomez for assignment.
Feyereisen was claimed on waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks last Thursday. He was assigned to OKC but hadn’t pitched for them before being recalled on Tuesday.
Gomez was claimed on waivers from the New York Yankees 10 days ago and allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 4⅓ innings for the Dodgers.
Feyereisen might not be around for long. Right-hander Landon Knack also made the trip from OKC on Tuesday. He will be added to the roster and pitch Wednesday. Roberts said it hasn’t been decided yet whether Knack will start the game against the Marlins or follow an opener but “he’s going to take down the bulk of the game” as Ben Casparius did on Monday.
Knack has made three appearances with the Dodgers already this season (two starts) and allowed seven runs in 8⅔ innings.
ALSO
Left-hander Blake Snell was feeling “under the weather” and wasn’t at the stadium on Tuesday, according to Roberts. Snell has been on the IL with a shoulder injury and hasn’t pitched since April 2 but he was expected to start a throwing program during this trip.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (RHP Landon Knack, 1-0, 7.27 ERA) at Marlins (RHP Valente Bellozo, 0-2, 4.97 ERA), Wednesday, 1:40 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM