Teoscar Hernández He was officially placed on the 10-day injured list on Friday with a strained left hamstring. In the first report, manager Dave Roberts suggested that Hernández would miss at least a few weeks of action. The difficulty and timeline is becoming clearer now, as The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reveals the one-month absence from the Grade 1 program.
Hernández called the Grade 1 diagnosis “best case scenario” and expressed hope that he could return in a short time. In contrast, Roberts took a cautious tone due to Hernández’s groin injury last year and lowered the numbers upon his return. Hernández posted a wRC of 155+ with nine home runs in 33 games before missing two weeks with a groin injury. However, he had an 84 wRC+ in 410 plate appearances after returning.
This time, speaking to Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and others, Roberts was aware of the dangers of returning too soon. “He wanted to come back and he felt good, and you look back and he wasn’t,” Roberts said of Hernández last year. “So we will not make that mistake again.” Given Hernández’s age (33) and recent injury history, it makes sense to take it slow on his recovery.
Hernández had a strong start before arriving in IL. In 204 plate appearances, he was hitting .276/.348/.436 with a 122 wRC+. Hernández is striking out at a 27.0% clip, which is a 2.5% increase from last year, but he has managed to nearly double his walk rate to 9.3%. While not a career high, Hernández’s average-on-base ability is similar to his 3.4-fWAR introductory season heading to LA in 2024. There is a risk of regression with a .355 batting average, but even so, Hernández remains a capable hitter in his 30s.
Of course, it speaks to the Dodgers’ abundance of star players that Hernández can put up a 122 wRC+ and be “only” the fifth-best hitter on the team. All seven of the team’s professional hitters are above average in wRC+. Shohei Ohtani leads the team with a 150 wRC+. The most eligible “baddest” hitter on the team Kyle Tuckerwho is still 6% better than average in wRC+ even in a down year. The Dodgers lead the Majors with a 122 team wRC+, with Hernández playing a key role, but far from alone.
The Dodgers rotation is a similar picture, with plenty of talented arms to rotate around. However, compared to the offense, the rotation has been adversely affected by injuries this year. Gavin Stone he has not pitched since 2024 due to labrum and rotator cuff repairs in his right shoulder, as well as ongoing inflammation. Depth launchers Landon Knack again Bobby Miller are on the 60-day injured list with right intercostal strain and right shoulder pain, respectively.
Tyler Glasnow (low spasms) and Blake Snell (loose bodies in left elbow) top starters right now in IL. According to the team’s injury tracker on MLB.com, Glasnow is expected to return at some point in June. However, to hear Roberts explain it, it seems that Glasnow is “not done” to develop beyond playing catch yet (link via Ardaya). On the bright side, there are no new problems with Glasnow’s back.
Glasnow has made 47 starts with the Dodgers since arriving via trade in December 2023. As expected, the results have been excellent. Glasnow has a 3.27 ERA in 264 innings with the team, while his 31.2% strikeout rate is fourth among starters with 250 or more innings over that span. And as expected, he missed significant time due to injury. Glasnow has now been in the IL four times with the Dodgers, including a stint before the 2024 back injury. Today’s update may indicate a longer-than-expected absence for Glasnow, perhaps bringing his return from the All-Star break closer than June.
Turning briefly to the bullpen, the Dodgers opened up a lefty Jack Dreyer on the 15 day injured list and I was selected accordingly Paul Gervase in Triple-A, according to Ardaya. Dreyer returns after missing two weeks with left shoulder discomfort. Before coming to the IL, Dreyer had a shiny 2.08 ERA in 21 2/3 innings out of the ‘pen, mostly in low-rated spots. His 28.6% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate are both improvements from last year, so he’ll likely stick around. As for Gervase, he only got one game in this latest call-up, throwing two scoreless innings on May 22. Gervase has been recalled and picked up twice in 2026 and figures to repeat that pattern whenever the Dodgers need a new arm.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
