Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Cody Bellinger Behind Schedule in Return from Rib Fracture

For some, file this under not all that surprising. Cody Bellinger, on the injured list with a non-displaced rib fracture on his left side, is a bit behind schedule in his potential return to the active roster. The former NL MVP is eligible to return on Tuesday, but chances are that won’t be the case.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had the update on Friday night revealing that Cody hadn’t made enough progress healing over these last few days to return when eligible. 



“It’s progressing, probably not at the pace we would all like. Progress is a good thing. But I just don’t want to box him in to playing on Tuesday. When it happens, it happens. It’s just kind of a day-to-day thing.”

Bellinger has remained with the team on this road trip and is expected to take batting practice in Arizona on Saturday. From there, the Dodgers and Cody have a few options. He could stay with the team and fly home to LA after Sunday’s game against the Diamondbacks, or stay behind and continue his rehab at Camelback Ranch, the club’s spring training complex in Glendale, Arizona.

Whatever comes next for the injured centerfielder, it may behoove the Dodgers to take time with Cody. On the season, he’s slashed .159/.237/.291 in 89 games while coming back from offseason shoulder surgery and an early season leg injury. Two seasons removed from a 47 home run campaign, Belli has hit only 9 in 302 at-bats.

Clayton Kershaw is on the hill for LA in Arizona facing D-back ace Zac Gallen. First pitch is set for 5:10 PM PT.

NEXT: A Familiar Foe Could Be Waiting for LA Early in the Postseason

Clint Pasillas

Clint Pasillas has been writing, blogging, and podcasting about the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2008. Under Clint's leadership as the Lead Editor, Dodgers Nation has grown into one of the most read baseball sites in the world with millions of unique visitors per month. Find him online on Twitter/X or his YouTube channel!

19 Comments

  1. If Bellinger is not ready ,I don’t know what that means , He HAS NOT been ready all year , It is sad but true , you just cannot keep him for the playoffs because of feeling bad for him and eliminating someone who is more capable in playing in his place . Robert’s will mess that up also , he is so incapable of making the right decisions and just go on his feelings , just so much frustration.

  2. Lux is telling Cody to take his time coming back with his play. Lux knows that unless he’s hitting about .500 Roberts will put his son back in the lineup.

  3. It is a mystery that we may never understand why Roberts insists on trying to keep a TERRIBLE hitting Bellinger in the lineup. Moreover, even when there are others who could play his position and hit better Roberts puts Bellinger on the field where his sub-pitcher batting average hurts the team. It would be a favor to the team, to put Bellinger on the IL for the rest of this season and let some guys who can help the club take his place.

  4. For the best of the team overall and in the upcoming playoffs Bellinger has to stay on the bench or disabled list or rehab- -which ever you what to call it !!!

  5. Whatever is going on between Roberts and Bellringer no one knows but them. I would think that the collective advice from everyone who cares is simple. KEEP BELLI OUT OF THE LINEUP FOR THE REST OF THIS SEASON! He unfortunately has not helped the 2021 Dodgers out at all and now that Lux seems to have greatly improved since returning from OKC, and along with Pollack and Taylor platooning, there is not 1 reason that the namesake Bellinger needs to be mentioned. PERIOD. There is no time left to lose another game with him swinging the bat and leaving runners on.

    1. And one wonders why I’m down on Roberts. His coddling of Bellinger may cost this team in October if dumb Roberts insists on starting him if and when he can play. As ya say we have coverage in CF now and Bellinger needs to sit out the rest of the year. But I also wonder if Robers is being ordered to get h back in the lineup. It wouldn’t surprise me. And I don’t want to hear how Bellinger’s defense will win ball games. Ridiculous if the team doesn’t show up offensively anyway.

  6. FOR THE LAST TIME, can DRRRRR and the Dodgers STOP expecting Bellinger to be of ANY use to this team except maybe for late inning defense, and even that’s not really necessary for these last 8 games. I can’t believe Roberts is still hoping Bellinger can help win ball games and is wanting to put that .159 BA back in the lineup. Look, we know Lux isn’t that experienced in CF but he’s good enough to have made a great running catch out there saving perhaps a triple and maybe a run. Please, stop playing favorites with Bellinger, it’s so obvious. He’s NOT going to start hitting like 2019 Cody. Enough already!!!

  7. “is a bit behind schedule in his potential return to the active roster.”

    Puulease!!!!! Stop with this fantasy. He hasn’t ‘returned’ all year.

    And NOW you want him on the roster just in time for the playoffs???????????

    Good click bait fodder, I guess.

  8. He’s probably a tiny bit better than Luke Raley, at least as a late-inning defensive replacement, but these comments are probably correct, that Roberts will start him hitting 8th and create a rally-killing hole in the lineup.

  9. Pauldodgerfan1965, I’m frustrated with Roberts too, but mostly because he has been playing Belli & McKinney while mysteriously ignoring Beaty. You have to give the guy some credit for managing the bullpen with so many injuries to both starters and relievers, especially when the offense sputters, as it did last night. It isn’t DR’s fault that with everybody now healthy, they aren’t scoring 8-10 runs against teams like AZ & CO.

    1. For sure, Tom. And I said before that aside from any decision making by Roberts, my main concern is the offense that can be so inconsistent. An example is in many games Dodgers have a few hits and a couple runs in the early innings and for the rest of the game the offense disappears.

  10. Earth to Dodger fans. Friedman is making all the moves and calling the shots.
    He and he alone will deal with Bellinger.

    1. Robby, then ya may recall that if that’s the case here with Freidman calling the shots my assumptions are true that Roberts is a puppet in position only. One would think a field manager should have the ability to handle his players and if and when they play on his own.

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