Dodgers utility man Enrique Hernandez lands on disabled list, Joc Pederson could join him
Dodgers’ Joc Pederson is helped off the field after an injury during the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday.
Reporting from MILWAUKEE — Enrique Hernandez was placed on the 15-day disabled list. Joc Pederson may soon join him. And Yasiel Puig added to the Dodgers’ scares when he left the game Wednesday after crashing into a wall in a 7-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The team put Hernandez on the DL because of an injury in his left rib cage to make room for Brock Stewart, a 24-year-old pitcher making his big league debut. To clear space on the 40-man roster, the team moved pitcher Alex Wood to the 60-day disabled list, meaning he won’t be eligible to pitch until July 30 as he recovers from a left elbow impingement.
Pederson sat out because of a bruised right shoulder. He injured himself crashing into an outfield wall the night before. He struggled to move his arm a day later. Manager Dave Roberts said the team needed a quick recovery from Pederson. Otherwise, the Dodgers will need to put him on the DL to bring up another player.
Roberts sounded more enthusiastic about Puig. He banged his knee against the wall and suffered a “minor contusion,” Roberts said. Roberts expected Puig to be able to play in Thursday’s series finale at Miller Park.
Pederson does not know if he will undergo an MRI exam. An initial X-ray of the arm revealed no broken bones. Pederson sustained a similar injury in the minors in 2014 and spent time on the disabled list.
He managed to find levity in the current situation.
“I can’t really put deodorant on,” Pederson said. “It was tough to get dressed. But that’s all expected.”
Hernandez, who is hitting .189 with a .626 on-base plus slugging percentage, said he injured himself near the end of the last homestand doing defensive drills. He started twice during a four-game series against the Pirates over the weekend.
“I guess I really shouldn’t have played in the games in Pittsburgh,” Hernandez said. “But when you only get to play once or twice a week, you never want to say ‘No.’”
Twitter: @McCulloughTimes
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