Dodgers News: Yasmani Grandal Placed On 7-Day Concussion DL

Nearly two months into the regular season the Los Angeles Dodgers have suffered several bumps and bruises along the way. The severity of injuries to multiple players has varied, with Brandon McCarthy and Hyun-Jin Ryu lost for the season, and Carl Crawford and Yasiel Puig expected to return at some point.

Yasmani Grandal became the latest to join the list as the Dodgers placed the catcher on the seven-day concussion disabled list Saturday. Taking his place on the active roster is Austin Barnes, who was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Saturday Grandal had a “mild concussion.” He believes the 26 year old will be able to return in the next few days, but the team decided to take a cautious approach and place him on the DL.

Grandal was struck on the mask by Yangervis Solarte’s backswing in the third inning Friday. Trainer Stan Conte came out to check on the catcher, ushered him back to the dugout and continued to tend to the catcher.

Grandal remained in the game and took a Matt Kemp foul ball off his mask in the fourth. He batted for himself in the bottom of the inning but was removed when the fifth began. Mattingly said after Friday’s win Grandal wouldn’t be in Saturday’s lineup as an already planned day off but didn’t have any further update at the time.

Had Ellis been injured or the Dodgers required another catcher Friday, Mattingly named Kiké Hernandez as the club’s emergency catcher, ahead of Scott Van Slyke.

Barnes was acquired in the seven-player trade with the Miami Marlins and is batting .290/.390/.430 with three home runs and 13 RBIs over 29 games with the Oklahoma City Dodgers. He’s in line to make his Major-League debut should Mattingly insert the 25-year-old catcher into a game.

Losing Grandal, even if for only seven days, is a significant blow to an offense that’s scored only three runs over the last five games. Behind a productive month of May, Grandal is batting .291/.403/.466 this season. A.J. Ellis is in Saturday night’s lineup.

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