The Los Angeles Dodgers need another outfielder, and whether or not they sign one this offseason hinges on the health of utility man Tommy Edman, per Katie Woo and Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
“Much of the Dodgers’ outfield plans are contingent on Tommy Edman’s health,” Ardaya and Woo wrote. “Edman underwent ankle surgery in mid-November and will be delayed to start spring training, [general manager Brandon] Gomes said this week.”
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Edman spent the entire season battling an injury to his right ankle, and spent two separate stints on the injured list as he dealt with it. His injury limited him to playing second base after spending the majority of his first season in Los Angeles in the outfield. He underwent surgery on his ankle after the Dodgers won the World Series.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman revealed the Dodgers expect to see Edman back in the outfield next season.
“Tommy’s coming off ankle surgery, our expectations are he’ll be good to go and be able to kick around and play infield and outfield,” Friedman said. “You don’t really know that until we’re out in spring training, moving around and seeing how he recovers.
“We’ve got some guys with some positional flexibility. That just opens things up in terms of what exactly we’re targeting and what can fit, which is helpful because that expands the number of possibilities, which increases the chances of lining up on something.”
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If Edman is available to play the outfield like Friedman says, the Dodgers will have three serviceable outfielders come the beginning of the 2026 season. A healthy Edman would play centerfield, with Teoscar Hernández and Andy Pages on either side of him. The Dodgers also have a solid option in the outfield off the bench in Alex Call.
Should Edman not be available to play in the outfield, though, the Dodgers still have plenty of time to move for one of the big-name outfielders they’ve been linked to all offseason.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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