LOS ANGELES — It was an emotional reunion – Kiké Hernandez returned from elbow surgery and was reunited with a Dodgers fan base that has always had a special affection for him.
Read more Angels manage only 2 hits as 4-game winning streak ends
But it didn’t last long. Hernandez suffered a strained oblique muscle in his left side in just his second game back. An MRI on Wednesday revealed “a significant tear,” according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
There is currently no timeline for how long it will take Hernandez to recover, but shortstop Mookie Betts missed five weeks earlier this season after what was considered a less severe oblique strain.
Hernandez was placed on the injured list on Wednesday and Alex Freeland was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Freeland’s return renews the competition for playing time at second base between him and Hyeseong Kim. Freeland opened the season with the Dodgers and Kim was sent to Triple-A. When Betts was injured, Kim was recalled. When Betts was activated from the IL 32 games later, it was Freeland who got demoted.
In Triple-A, Freeland was named the Pacific Coast League Player of the Week when he went 10 for 25 with three home runs, two triples and 11 RBIs in a five-game stretch. Over 11 games with Oklahoma City, the numbers came down but he hit .265 with a .937 OPS there.
“It was great,” Roberts said of Freeland’s success with OKC. “That’s kind of what we talked about doing is going down there and knocking the door down and taking that frustration out on those pitchers and that’s what he did. So obviously, there’s an opportunity and I just feel that right now he’s earned that opportunity to get some looks consistently.
“It’s a credit to him to go back down there and play well.”
Freeland got the start at second base on Wednesday over Kim, who was just 7 for 44 (.159) with 17 strikeouts in his previous 16 games.
“It’s a little tricky,” Roberts said of balancing the playing time at second base. “I’m going to give Freeland a little bit more runway. I think that in the last – call it four weeks – Hyeseong has had a lot of runway, certainly versus right-handed pitching and I think right now (I am going to) skew it more towards Alex getting more of the opportunities.”
Roberts also said Freeland could get playing time at third base as Max Muncy eases back into the lineup. Muncy started at third base on Wednesday after missing four games after he was hit in the right wrist by a pitch on Friday in Milwaukee.
“For Alex, just like most young players, it’s just to play free,” Roberts said of his hopes for Freeland this time. “You’re in a big room and you’re kind of trying to find your way, not make mistakes. But this is his third stint up here so just to kind of give himself some grace and just go out there and play hard and be a tough out and play defense and then good things will happen.”
Read more How are college grads navigating the tough job market? Here’s what some are doing
PROSPECT INJURED
One of the Dodgers’ clutch of well-regarded outfield prospects, Kendall George, suffered a significant knee injury on Monday with Double-A Tulsa.
George scored on an RBI single by another top outfield prospect, Josue DePaula, in the second inning of the Drillers’ game. After he passed home plate and was trotting toward the Drillers’ dugout, the team mascot, a dog, raced out of the dugout to retrieve DePaula’s bat – a fan-friendly routine adopted by some minor-league teams.
The dog apparently ran close enough to George that he jumped out of the way. George landed awkwardly and limped to the dugout in obvious pain, slamming his helmet to the ground.
“We’re still working it out with our medical group and figuring out the path forward,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said when asked about the extent of George’s injury. “He’s going to miss some time.”
Surgery is possible, Gomes said, but “the hope is not – but we’ve got to understand more about the different options.”
Last year with Class-A Great Lakes, George became only the fifth minor-leaguer to steal 100 bases in a season. This year in Double-A, the speedy George was hitting .333 with 26 stolen bases in 43 games.
The Drillers have suspended their bat dog program, but Gomes said there have been no discussions between the Dodgers and their affiliates about similar promotions.
“It’s obviously incredibly unfortunate. We feel horribly for Kendall that he’s going to miss time with this,” Gomes said. “But we’re focused on getting him in a good place and then we’ll figure out the other things that are involved in this.”
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are off Thursday.
Phillies (RHP Zack Wheeler, 4-0, 1.67 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Justin Wrobleski, 6-2, 3.07 ERA), Friday, 7:15 p.m., Apple TV, 570 AM
Read more Garden Grove to compile ‘after action’ report as residents question handling of chemical threat