The injuries are starting to mount for the Dodgers. Monday afternoon Los Angeles placed second baseman Howie Kendrick on the 15-day DL with a left hamstring strain, the team announced. He suffered the injury running out an infield single Sunday night.
Here's video of Kendrick's injury:
It was easy to tell something was wrong when Kendrick walked right into the dugout and didn't even lobby to stay in the game.
Kendrick, 32, does have a history of left hamstring problems. Strains landed him on the DL twice in 2008, once for 46 days and once for 27 days, and again for 15 days in 2011. There's no word on the severity of this current injury. A severe strain could end his season.
Acquired from the Angels in what was essentially a three-team trade this offseason, Kendrick is hitting a very Howie Kendrick-esque .296/.341/.418 (111 OPS+) with nine home runs this year. He's a career .293/.333/.424 (108 OPS+). Kendrick is consistent, if nothing else.
Obviously losing Kendrick is a big blow, and it doesn't help the Dodgers are without Justin Turner as well. Turner is currently on the DL due to an infection in his leg, and although he is eligible to be activated on Wednesday, he has yet to resume running. His DL stint will last longer than 15 days.
The Dodgers have been playing the generally unproductive Alex Guerrero and Alberto Callaspo at third base with Turner hurt, and rather than give Enrique Hernandez more at-bats following Kendrick's injury, the team called up prospect Jose Peraza. Peraza is in Monday's lineup and came over from the Braves in the big 13-player, three-team trade with the Marlins at the deadline.
Even without Turner and Kendrick, the Dodgers still have enough potent bats in Adrian Gonzalez, Yasmani Grandal, Andre Ethier and Yasiel Puig. Joc Pederson could join that group if he snaps out of his weeks-long slump at some point. The infield is rather thin though. Losing two everyday players like Turner and Kendrick is a lot to overcome. Kendrick's injury came at a very bad time.
