It seems like nothing can stop the Dodgers right now, but they’ll shelve Yu Darvish for 10 days with a tight back and hope to get Joc Pederson going with a minor league detour.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a few noteworthy roster moves on Saturday afternoon. They placed right-hander Yu Darvish on the 10-day disabled list with back tightness. Lefty Edward Paredes has been recalled to take his spot. The club also optioned outfielder Joc Pederson to Triple-A Oklahoma City to make room for the recently acquired Curtis Granderson.
Darvish was unable to continue past the sixth inning in his last start on Wednesday against the White Sox. He was somewhat less sharp in that one compared to his first two outings for Los Angeles, allowing three solo home runs while striking out just two. It was unclear whether Darvish would be able to make his next scheduled start on Tuesday, but the team will understandably play it safe with their new rotation piece.
It seems like Darvish could have avoided the DL under more pressing circumstances but was encouraged to take the 10-day respite. He stated, per Dodger Insider:
"“My initial reaction after the last outing was that I felt like I could make the next start. However, after talking to the team and consulting with the doctor, I understand their concern and I respect that opinion. I will make sure to get treatment and rest to get ready for [my] next start.”"
With a lead in the NL West that has now ballooned to 19 games over the Colorado Rockies, the Dodgers can more than afford to take extra caution with Darvish. They acquired him for the postseason, not to win a division that is pretty much already wrapped up.
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Meanwhile, Pederson was the player who seemed most likely to be affected by the arrival of Granderson, so it’s not all that shocking to see him sent down to make way. The 25-year-old has struggled this season, slashing .215/.329/.418 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI in 87 games. He hit a lofty .304/.435/.714 in June, but outside of that month Pederson’s production has been quite bleak. He’s just 2-for-37 (.054) in the month of August.
Pederson has been unable to live up to the high bar he set in the first half of his 2015 rookie season. While he didn’t hit for much average, he belted 20 homers and notched 40 RBI before the All-Star break that year with a .230/.364/.487 slash line. He batted only .178/.317/.300 while adding just six more homers in the second half.
The California native showed signs of improvement in 2016, slashing .246/.352/.495 for a career-high 126 OPS+ along with 25 home runs and 68 RBI. However, he’s never quite reached the level of superstardom many envisioned when he was an All-Star blasting moonshots at the Home Run Derby in 2015. This year’s numbers have done little to change the narrative.
Next: Dodgers get even better with Granderson
Pederson will presumably return to the Dodgers when rosters expand in September, so he won’t be away for long. Spending a couple weeks in the minors to clear his head, work on his swing and “reset,” in the words of manager Dave Roberts, could be just what he needs.