First baseman Adrian Gonzalez has been a middle-of-the-order fixture in the playoffs in each of the last four years, but this time around, the Dodgers will be without him.
Gonzalez's back issues resurfaced Wednesday morning after playing in Tuesday night's game, the Dodgers told reporters before Wednesday night's game (including True Blue LA). Manager Dave Roberts said Gonzalez is shut down for the year and that includes the playoffs, as the Dodgers hope to have him back to 100 percent by next season. Gonzalez dealt with a herniated disk for the last several months.
On the year, Gonzalez's ineffective play can likely be tied to his injury woes. He hit just .242/.287/.355 with three homers in 71 games.
Of course, the Dodgers have now seen the emergence of rookie Cody Bellinger. He has been a godsend to the Dodgers this season and is likely to hold down first base through the playoffs. Bellinger could be played in the outfield, too, but the Dodgers have tons of depth out there, with the likes of Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Curtis Granderson, Joc Pederson, Andre Ethier and several other options.
This has to be a terrible feeling for Gonzalez, but in terms of on the field, the Dodgers have the pieces to overcome this blow. They've been doing it quite well for most of the season.
