Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages is officially set to return to action this Tuesday against the San Diego Padres, making his comeback after a month-long absence. This dude suffered a gnarly hand fracture on August 22nd when a pitch slammed into his left hand during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He needed surgery fast, and man, the Dodgers have been holding their breath for this.
The Long Road Back to the Diamond
Pages has been grinding, steadily ramping up his baseball activity since the surgery. He dropped the news himself this past Friday, September 18th, telling AM 570’s David Vassegh that he’s pushing for that Tuesday return against the Padres. Manager Dave Roberts already spilled the beans to the media, including Dodgers Nation, confirming Pages would be activated at some point during this current homestand, which runs from Friday through Wednesday. That means if he steps on the field Tuesday, Pages gets five games to get himself back to MLB game speed. Assume he takes one day off in there, and he’s only got four matchups to get everything clicking. Talk about a tight window!
Why Pages Is Invaluable for October
So why is everyone so hyped about this guy’s return? Because Pages is an absolute beast on both sides of the ball! We’re talking elite defense. FanGraphs slaps him with a 9.5 defensive rating. That’s insane. Compare that to Tommy Edman, who’s been filling in at center field and sitting at -1 Outs Above Average. Pages, on the other hand, boasts a whopping 8 Outs Above Average in center field, according to Baseball Savant. That’s a massive swing! For a team like the Dodgers that prides itself on shutting down runs, Pages brings the kind of glove and range that keeps starting pitchers in the game. And don’t even get me started on his bat: he’s rocking a 3.9 fWAR and a 119 wRC+ this season, with a sweet bat-on-ball skill set. He’s simply invaluable, and the Dodgers are gonna need every single bit of his game as they look ahead to the postseason.
Pages returning to the lineup on Tuesday means he’s got a few precious games left in the regular season to shake off the rust. The Dodgers finish their regular season against the Giants in San Francisco after this homestand, so every single one of those at-bats and defensive plays is critical. If he gets rolling, that October run is looking even scarier for the rest of the league.
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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