Dodgers activate Corey Seager off 10-day injured list
The Dodgers activated shortstop Corey Seager from the 10-day injured list Wednesday and optioned infielder/outfielder Matt Beaty to triple-A Oklahoma City.
It was the second transaction Los Angeles made during the All-Star break; on Monday, the Dodgers activated first baseman David Freese and optioned outfielder Kyle Garlick and infielder Edwin Rios.
Monday’s moves left the Dodgers with an open spot on their 25-man roster, but outfielder A.J. Pollock is expected to fill the vacancy. The Dodgers are slated to reinstate him from the 60-day injured list before Friday’s series opener against the Boston Red Sox. Los Angeles also must create a spot on the 40-man roster for Pollock.
Seager was placed on the injured list June 12 after straining his left hamstring against the Angels the previous night. He appeared in three games on rehab assignment for single-A Rancho Cucamonga. He played seven innings at shortstop and went two for six. Seager, 25, had been one of the hottest hitters in baseball in the three weeks prior to his injury, batting .382 with a 1.118 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in his previous 20 games, following a slow start after missing nearly the entire 2018 season.
Chris Taylor’s production ensured there wasn’t a dropoff at shortstop. Taylor batted .380 with a 1.074 OPS in Seager’s absence. He now probably will spend the majority of his time at second base and left field when not spelling Seager at shortstop.
Beaty, a 26-year-old rookie, hit .278 with two home runs and a .705 OPS in 37 games for the Dodgers. One of his two homers was a walk-off blast to beat the Colorado Rockies on June 21.
Pollock, 31, has been on the injured list since April 30 after sustaining an elbow infection. He went one for 13 at the plate on his rehab assignment with Rancho Cucamonga. His only hit was a home run. He logged 20 innings in center field. Pollock batted .223 with a .617 OPS in 28 games before he went on the injured list.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has insisted Pollock will reclaim his place as the everyday center fielder. That bumps Alex Verdugo, one of the best rookies in the majors, batting .303 with an .839 OPS, off the role he excelled in since taking over for Pollock. As a result, the Dodgers began playing Joc Pederson, a career outfielder, at first base last month in hopes of keeping his bat in the lineup against right-handed pitchers when Verdugo plays left field.
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Twitter: @jorgecastillo
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