Dave Roberts Reveals Updated Timetable for Alex Verdugo's Return to Dodgers
By Karl Rasmussen
Los Angeles Dodgers' rookie outfielder Alex Verdugo has made quite an impact on the big league club this year, but they won't have the luxury of his presence in the lineup for a while.
Verdugo has been dealing with an oblique injury which landed him on the 10-day IL in early August. While he was expected to be back by the end of the month, it looks as if that's no longer the case. Dave Roberts told reporters Tuesday that Verdugo won't return to the mix until Sept. 1 at the earliest.
Alex Verdugo still has discomfort in his oblique, hasn’t resumed baseball activity and won’t return to Dodgers until Sept. 1 or later, Dave Roberts said.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) August 20, 2019
This is a big blow for the Dodgers who are looking to claim the NL pennant. In his first full season in the bigs, Verdugo was slashing .294/.342/.475 with 12 homers and 44 RBI.
While the Dodgers certainly have the depth to cope with his absence, having Verdugo in the clubhouse and on the field is important to their success.
Hopefully he'll be back in early September so he can get back in the flow of things before the team's postseason run in October.
Dodgers rookies Alex Verdugo, Matt Beaty, Will Smith, Kyle Garlick, and Edwin Rios have started a combined 159 games in 2019. As a group, they are hitting .295/.350/.533 with 52 doubles, 34 HR, 119 RBI, and 104 runs scored in 751 PA https://t.co/T5tq3JxLyc
— Eric Stephen (@ericstephen) August 20, 2019
Verdugo was the Dodgers' second-round pick in the 2014 MLB Draft. He's featured in the pros in each of the last three seasons, though prior to 2019 his longest stint was last year's 37 games.