Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger Has Non-Displaced Rib Fracture

Cincinnati – What else could go wrong for Cody Bellinger this season?

Five days after he and Gavin Lux collided in the left-central region, it was revealed that Bellinger had suffered a non-displaced fracture of a rib on his left side during the play.

Lux, who had never played left field in Triple-A a little more than a week ago, caught Carson Kelly in the third inning of Monday’s game against the Diamondbacks. The contact seemed quite “benign” as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put it on Saturday.

Bellinger remained in the game and played the next three games. But lingering soreness prompted the Dodgers to send him in for an exam on Saturday morning.

“We just got the imaging this morning,” Roberts said. “It was that play Monday. They just said it was painful. It was very gentle, the bump. So nobody thought anything of it.”

A similar pattern played out in April when Bellinger collided with AK pitcher Ramin Guduan on a play at first base. The injury was originally diagnosed as “two cleat contusions.” When Bellinger’s recovery was delayed, he was re-examined 10 days later and a hairline fracture was detected in his left fibula.

Bellinger missed nearly eight weeks from that injury and was moved to the injured list for another 10 games in June with a hamstring injury. All this on the heels of his off-season shoulder surgery – and a staggering drop from his MVP performances in 2019 with a .159 batting average and .529 OPS this season.

“If you look at all the things that have happened, you have to be sensitive to that and the feelings,” Roberts said. “But I don’t think it’s beneficial to play ‘That’s Me’ because it’s part of life, this is baseball and that’s what’s happening to him. We still have to focus on what he’s doing to help us win. What can do. And not to be insensitive, but I don’t want to put it out there because I don’t want him to feel sorry for himself and I know he doesn’t. He shouldn’t.

“I guess something natural – ‘Man, anything else?’ But I don’t think it’s helpful for me to add to that. What are you going to do about this? That’s the only way to see the stage we’re at in the season.”

Bellinger was not in the starting lineup on Saturday, Lux was returning sooner than expected from a forearm injury that occurred when he collided with a pitching machine pitch before Friday’s game, and Chris Taylor was returning to the lineup for the first time in a week. I was back. .

But Roberts said he expects Bellinger to play on Sunday and “continue to play according to his (pain) tolerance.”

“He said it’s more (disturbing) when he’s throwing,” Roberts said. “It’s on the left so when he’s throwing in the outfield. It’s hurting now. I’m sure it might be something to do with Swing as well. Just going to give him a day to calm down.”

top down

Roberts reshuffled the top of the Dodgers lineup on Saturday, moving Corey Seeger to second behind Mookie Bates – a combination that fueled the Dodgers’ offense last season. Max Muncie was moved to fourth place between right-handed hitters Tree Turner and Justin Turner.

“I think Corey is swinging the bat well. He’s looking at the pitches, taking a walk,” said Roberts. “Right now, Max is battling. … Top-order, the way Corey is batting, running and getting hits – to put him right behind Mookie I think it’s the right thing Max will be untracked.”

In the 14 games before Saturday, Seeger scored 17 for 45 (.378) with eight walks, taking his base percentage to .463 on that stretch.

Meanwhile, Muncie is actually “scrambling”. Although he had scored four home runs in the last nine matches, Munsi scored only .178 (16 for 90) in the 24 matches before Saturday.

kahanle update

When the Dodgers signed right-hander Tommy Kahnal to a two-year, $4.75 million contract in December, there was some hope he would return from Tommy John surgery (performed last August) before the end of the 2021 season. may be able to.

Roberts said Saturday that the timetable for Kahneley’s rehabilitation had changed to spring. He has proceeded to play catch only and will not pitch in 2021.