The Los Angeles Dodgers placed first baseman Adrian Gonzalez on the 10-day disabled list and activated outfielder Joc Pederson from the 7-day concussion DL.
The Los Angeles Dodgers swapped one struggling star for another as the team activated Joc Pederson from the concussion DL and subsequently placed Adrian Gonzalez on the 10-day DL with a herniated disc in his back.
Pederson was placed on the 7-day concussion DL after a scary collision with Yasiel Puig in the outfield a few weeks ago, and will now look to shake off his cold start to the season as he returns to the starting lineup. Before the injury, Pederson was hitting a meager .200 with a .623 OPS and just two home runs. Last season, Pederson belted 25 homers while hitting near .250 after an up-and-down rookie campaign.
Gonzalez, who had never been on the disabled list before the start of the season, will now find himself on the DL for the second time this season. The 35-year-old went on the DL earlier this season with a lingering elbow issue, and wasn’t able to resolve his early season struggles at the plate upon his return.
Now, Gonzalez will be given plenty of time to rest his ailing back. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times reported that Gonzalez’s back had been “locking up” on him last weekend, as the first baseman has been attempting to play through a herniated disc all season long.
Gonzalez is hitting just .255 with a .643 OPS and one homer – which is likely due in large part to his lingering elbow and back issues. The herniated disc is also believed to be a “degenerative” problem, as reported by Andy McCullough of the LA Times.
Roberts described issue w/ Gonzalez as a "degenerative" problem w/ his herniated disk. The team will give him as much time off as possible.
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) June 13, 2017
It’s unclear exactly how long Gonzalez will be out for, but it’s certainly possible that he’ll be out for a month or so. While Gonzalez has still maintained his excellent plate discipline this season, his decrease in power is likely a direct result of his back issue. Gonzalez hit just 18 home runs last season, his lowest total since the 2012 season when he was traded to the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox in the middle of the season.
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The Dodgers lineup likely won’t suffer much without Gonzalez, seeing that the team ranks ninth in the league with 309 runs scored. With Gonzalez out, the team will likely shift left fielder Cody Bellinger back to first base – his natural position – and slot Chris Taylor into left field.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Gonzalez may not return to the cleanup spot when he returns, despite improvements in Gonzalez’s swing over the past few weeks.
“When you’re playing well and you’re hitting well, you’re going to get more opportunities, whether that’s playing time or where you hit in the order,” Roberts said via the LA Times. “And, if you’re not playing well over an extended period of time, then, yeah, I’m open to doing what’s best for our ballclub.”
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Given Bellinger’s strong start to his rookie season, it’s entirely possible that he’ll be given an extended look at first base as the season goes on. With Gonzalez’s track record, however, it’s hard to imagine he’ll be slowed down if he can return healthy.