Dodgers All-Star center fielder Andy Pages is out four to five weeks with a fractured left hand, a brutal blow after he got drilled by a 100 mph sinker on Friday. This ain’t just some bump or bruise, this is a real problem for a team with serious October aspirations. Pages, who just turned 25, has been absolutely crushing it for them all season, and now he’s sidelined.
That 100 MPH Sinker Just Crushed More Than Bone
Can you believe he stayed in for two more innings after taking that shot from Pirates pitcher Bubba Chandler? The dude’s a warrior! Initially, the Dodgers thought it was just a contusion, but X-rays unfortunately revealed a fracture. Pages was pulled for Kiké Hernández eventually, and you gotta wonder what was going through the dugout. This isn’t just about losing a bat; this is about losing one of their absolute studs. Pages has been a monster at the plate with a .272/.338/.458 slash line, 21 homers, 25 doubles, and an insane 80 RBI, which actually ties him with freaking Shohei Ohtani for the team lead. Add to that his 12 stolen bases, and you’ve got a legit offensive force. But it’s not just the bat: advanced metrics credit him with 17 Defensive Runs Saved and 9 Outs Above Average, making him one of MLB’s top center fielders. He even got voted into the National League starting lineup for his first All-Star Game this year. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the good news is it’s “not season-ending,” and he expects Pages back “on the earlier side” of that four- to five-week timeline, hopefully in time for the postseason. But man, that’s a long stretch without your All-Star.
Who Steps Up While Pages Is Sidelined?
So, with Pages out, the Dodgers are calling up Alek Thomas from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Thomas has been tearing it up with the Comets, posting a .296/.362/.493 slash with 7 homers, 17 doubles, and 40 RBI in 55 games. The Dodgers snagged him from the Diamondbacks back in May after Arizona DFA’ed him when he was hitting a measly .181/.222/.340. But here’s the kicker: Thomas has had moments of pure magic before. Remember his 2023 postseason run with the D-backs? Four homers, six RBI, including that clutch 2-run shot off Craig Kimbrel in Game 4 of the NLCS. Can he tap into that postseason swagger for the regular season now? It’s a huge question mark. Besides Thomas, they’ll likely lean on Kiké Hernández and Tommy Edman to cover center field. It’s a tough spot to be in, losing a player of Pages’ caliber right when you’re gearing up for October.
This is a gut punch, for sure. They need Thomas or someone else to step up big time if they want to keep rolling and give Pages something to come back to. Hopefully, he’s back out there, flashing the leather and crushing dingers when October baseball kicks off.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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