The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to get bit by the injury bug as the reigning World Series Champions suffered yet another devastating blow on Saturday night.
2020 World Series MVP Corey Seager left the game after getting hit in the right hand by a 90.5 MPH sinker from Marlins’ reliever Ross Detwiler.
Seager immediately went to the ground in pain, and tried to walk it off towards first base before once again keeling over in pain. Both the Dodgers’ athletic trainer and manager Dave Roberts ran out to check on Seager who immediately left the game.
X-rays taken after the game revealed that Seager had suffered a fracture in his right hand. An injury that typically takes four to six weeks to recovery from.
Nobody wants to see any player get injured, but the loss of one of the Dodgers best players couldn’t have come at a worse time for the team.
Los Angeles lost 14 of their last 18 games before reeling off four straight wins against the Mariners and Marlins. The Dodgers finally appeared to be turning the corner, but will now have to be without their starting left fielder in AJ Pollock, who suffered a left hamstring injury on Friday night and is expected to miss several weeks, as well as their starting shortstop. The Dodgers are already without their starting center fielder, their fifth starter, and a plethora of high-leverage bullpen arms. Needless to say, Seager’s injury is yet another devastating blow to an already depleted team.
Seager joins a very long injured list that includes former MVP Cody Bellinger, former Cy Young Award winner David Price, breakout star Zach McKinstry, Caleb Ferguson, Brusdar Graterol, Corey Knebel, Dustin May, Edwin Rios, and Pollock.
Currently, only eight healthy players remain on the active roster that were also on the Dodgers Opening Day roster. The team acquired infielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo from the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, and are expected to sign 41-year-old slugger Albert Puols on Monday to help provide extra depth.
Some of those aforementioned players are expected to return soon, and Chris Taylor or Gavin Lux can fill in for Seager at shortstop in the meantime. But if the injuries continue to pile up as fast as they have been, the Dodgers will be unable to sustain them.
Known for their tremendous depth in past seasons, the Dodgers depth is certainly being put to the test in 2021. Los Angeles is currently in third place in the NL West, but is just one game behind the San Francisco Giants who remain atop the division in first place.
