Steve Webb
The Dodgers are getting closer and closer to full strength. The team has announced that both outfielder AJ Pollock and reliever Jimmy Nelson will be returning from the IL for the Atlanta series, which gets underway on Friday night.
Pollock missed 17 games with a strained left hamstring. He played four games on a rehab assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga, going 2 for 9 with a home run. He started the season hitting .277 with four home runs and 16 RBI in 32 games. Nelson, on the other hand, has been out since May 16 with a right forearm strain. He was 1-1 with a 2.41 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 18-2/3 innings over 16 games this season.
To make room for them on the roster, the Dodgers optioned both Alex Vesia and Edwin Uceta to Triple-A Oklahoma City. With two pitchers sent down, and only Nelson activated at this point, this puts an extra bench player on the Dodgers roster for the time being. More moves to come in the very near future as both Tony Gonsolin and Brusdar Graterol continue to rehab in the minors. However, Gonsolin could join the team as early as this road trip for the Pittsburgh series and Graterol shouldn’t be that far behind.
With the Dodgers hitters coming off a 14-run explosion in the final game of the home stand, it will be nice to add Pollock’s bat to the mix. And once the bullpen gets back to full capacity, I’ll start feeling a lot less nervous in those scary innings from the sixth to the eighth. On to Atlanta for the rematch!
