Jason Heyward Finally Nearing Return to Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are arriving at a crossroads as veteran outfield Jason Heyward nears his return after spending most of this season on the injured list with a back injury.
He is expected to begin his rehab assignment next week.
According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Heyward is feeling good and will go through a more extensive day on Saturday — more live at-bats and five innings of defense — and they’ll map out rehab/minor league games from there. Heyward also revealed he received “a couple of shots” in his back to help calm it down.
When Heyward went on the injured list on April 3, the Dodgers only expected him to be out for the minimum 10-day injured list stint but when it extended beyond that, they called Andy Pages up. Since then, Pages has taken full advantage of his opportunities.
At one point, he was on a 10-game hitting streak and he has a .300 average with four homers through 21 games. Had Pages struggled at all in his first few games with the big league club, sending him back down would be an easier decision than it is now. The bottom line is that Pages is here to stay which turns the conversation towards James Outman or Chris Taylor.
Outman burst onto the scene last season and was runner-up to Arizona’s Corbin Carroll in National League Rookie of the Year voting, he hasn’t heated much this season. Taylor has been a key part of the Dodgers over the last few seasons, but his awful numbers are hard to ignore. He’s batting a lowly .071 with four hits and 28 strikeouts in 56 at-bats.
Regardless, Roberts and the front office have a difficult decision to make and someone will leave the team disappointed.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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