Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Howie Kendrick suffered a hamstring injury during his team’s 13-6 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates Sunday night.
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Kendrick Exits With Hamstring Injury
Sunday, Aug. 9
Ken Gurnick of MLB.com reported that Kendrick left Sunday’s game in the fifth inning with a “left hamstring strain.” He was replaced by Enrique Hernandez.
Kendrick suffered the injury when he attempted to beat out an infield grounder, as Gurnick described: “Kendrick stretched to get to the bag first. Kendrick appeared to feel something one stride from the bag and then limped noticeably, coming out of the game immediately.”
The extent of the injury was unknown in the immediate aftermath of the game, and Kendrick is set to have an MRI Monday, but head coach Don Mattingly was “preparing for extended absence,” according to Gurnick.
Losing Kendrick for a significant amount of time would be a serious blow to the Los Angeles offense because he tallied a multi-hit game in five straight contests and is hitting an impressive .293 on the season. He helps set the table for some of the power hitters in the order and will be difficult to replace.
The Dodgers were swept by the Pirates but still sit atop the National League West standings. If Hernandez fills in for Kendrick long-term, he must be ready to step right into the pressure of a pennant race as the season progresses.
His coach seems to think he is capable of doing that, per Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com:
Hernandez is a versatile player who can fill in at second base or shortstop. He boasts a .281 average on the season (as of Sunday) with four home runs. Still, Los Angeles has World Series aspirations this season and could use a healthy Kendrick in the order and at second base on a daily basis.
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