LOS ANGELES — In the continuation of a theme, the Dodgers are dealing with another cluster of injuries, while insisting that none are serious enough to raise any concerns.
The most high-profile of three new injuries was what Manager Dave Roberts described as something akin to a “neck stinger” for Freddie Freeman that forced the All-Star first baseman out of Wednesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
Another lineup change involved outfielder Alex Call, who was in line for his first start since Saturday but was scratched with a lower back strain.
Those injuries are in addition to the right oblique strain for relief pitcher Alex Vesia, which was deemed minor when the left-hander was placed on the injured list Tuesday. On Wednesday afternoon, Vesia was doing some light throwing off flat ground.
“There was no pull or grab or anything that made me concerned,” Vesia said. “I think (Roberts), all of our training staff is on the same page, just making sure that we knock it out now, make sure it doesn’t get worse. There’s no need to push it. I’m very confident that I can resume throwing in my normal routine. So we’ll take it one day at a time, and I believe in the 15 days we’ll be good to go.”
Freeman’s injury is something of a recurring issue from recent seasons.
“It’s something he’s dealt with before,” Roberts said. “Played through worse, he said. But we just felt to be safe, to not to play him tonight.”
Freeman has a double in each of the past two games and has his batting average back over .300 by going 12 for 35 over his last nine games. But in recent days a sore neck has worked its way into Freeman’s shoulder as well.
Roberts sounded confident in Freeman being ready to play Friday in the opener of a three-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Call was injured in the sixth inning Tuesday when he pinch-ran for Michael Conforto and scored a run but came away with a back injury in the process.
“Right now, it’s day to day,” Roberts said. “Hopefully we’ll know more in a couple days.”
JUMP AROUND
On Monday, Roberts said utility man Kiké Hernandez would spend much of his time down the stretch playing some left field with Conforto. But he was used at third base Tuesday and set to play there again Wednesday, until some starting lineup changes were needed.
With Freeman out, Hernandez was at first base instead. It was Hernandez’s 22nd game at first base this season, his most of any position on the field.
The first base play has been a new development. He entered Wednesday with just 59 games at first in his career, less than he has played in center field (353 games), left field (132) and right field (61) and at second base (279), shortstop (168) and third base (119).
ROLE PLAY
One day after giving up a two-run home run to Austin Hays, two batters into his most recent relief appearance, right-hander Ben Casparius insists he is in a good spot and his confidence is high.
A one-inning reliever when the season began, Casparius was shifted into a multiple-inning role, reaching as many as five innings during a June 22 outing against the Washington Nationals.
Back into a one-inning role in the second half, Casparius admits that all of the changes required some mechanical tweaks as he shifted from fastball location while throwing multiple innings to accessing more parts of the strike zone with shorter appearances.
“Just finding what works for me and attacking the strike zone has been great,” said Casparius, who is in his first full major league season. “Obviously it’s a learning process but just happy things are where they are right now.”
Over his past 13 outings (10⅔ innings), Casparius has a 2.53 ERA, after he had a 9.00 ERA over his previous 10 appearances (25 innings). On the season, he is 7-5 with a 4.70 ERA in 43 appearances, his most in a campaign at any level in the organization.
MORE HELP
In addition to right-hander Michael Kopech (knee) and third baseman Max Muncy (oblique) in line to return on the upcoming road trip to Pittsburgh and Baltimore, one more player is set to return in the same timeframe.
Utility man Hyeseong Kim also is set to come back while the team is away from home. Kim, who was batting .304 with 12 stolen bases in his first 58 games, has not played since July 28 because of a shoulder injury.
While major-league rosters are set to expand on Sept. 1, only two players can be added, with one corresponding move needed to get all three players active.
UP NEXT
After an off day on Thursday, Diamondbacks (TBA) at Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell, 3-2, 1.97 ERA), Friday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
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