Dodgers News: Juan Uribe’s Hamstring Worries Don Mattingly
Then in the seventh inning, with the Dodgers leading the Milwaukee Brewers, Juan Uribe was removed from the game due to hamstring tightness. The Dodgers called Uribe day-to-day and after the loss manager Don Mattingly expressed concern over the injury, via Everett Cook of the LA Times:
“A little bit, just because it’s the same leg, and when you see hamstrings, it seems like they’re pretty finicky.”
Friday was the third instance this season Uribe’s right hamstring has affected the third baseman. He missed five consecutive games and pinch-hit in a sixth before returning to the lineup and managed to temporarily avoid the DL in May.
Uribe then re-aggravated his hamstring in the ninth inning of a win on May 20 and missed five weeks. The Dodgers expect to know more on the 35 year old’s status on Saturday, but a repeat scenario of what transpired earlier in the season could spell trouble.
As Mattingly indicated, hamstring injuries can be a delicate situation to handle due to the ease of pulling it again. If Uribe is to miss another five weeks, his return wouldn’t come until late September, which would give him roughly one week of games to prepare for postseason play.
Uribe was just 2-for-14 in the first five games back from his stint on the DL. In the event Uribe is placed on the DL, the Dodgers would likely manage the initial blow of losing him given the production they’ve received from Justin Turner.
However, it would cause a trickle down effect that removes production from a bench that at one point held the highest WAR in MLB. After Turner, there isn’t another clearcut option at third base.
The Dodgers opted to go with rest for Uribe earlier in the season but eventually wound up placing him on the DL. With the season rapidly winding down, it may behoove the team to immediately use the DL if it appears Uribe will need to miss more than one or two games.
[divide]
Dodgers Dugout Bubble Parties Are Here To Stay
