LOS ANGELES -- After celebrating Friday night's 5-4 walk-off victory over the Pirates, the Dodgers were met with the sobering news that they'll need to piece together much of the rest of the regular season without their All-Star center fielder.
Andy Pages is expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks after X-rays revealed a fracture on the back of his left hand following a hit-by-pitch. Pages took a 100.2 mph sinker from Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler off his hand in the bottom of the third inning. He was in visible pain, and manager Dave Roberts and an athletic trainer accompanied him to first base.
After being checked on, Pages initially remained in the game and played one more inning in the field. But when the Dodgers took the field for the top of the fifth inning, Kiké Hernández replaced Pages in center field.
The Dodgers are unsure if Pages will require surgery, but they don't believe that going under the knife would significantly impact his timetable for a return. If he returns in four to five weeks, as hoped, then he would be back right before the postseason.
"I would expect him back, knowing him, on the earlier side," manager Dave Roberts said. "There's still time in the season for him to be back. But I feel for him because he was having such a good year and he likes to play. But yeah, we've got to move on and hold down the fort until he's back.”
A first-time All-Star this season, Pages has established himself as a key piece of the Dodgers' core. Entering Friday, his 5.6 bWAR ranked second on the team, behind only Shohei Ohtani (6.8). Pages hit .272 with a .796 OPS, and he was consistently excellent in center field, ranking in the 96th percentile with nine outs above average, per Statcast.
While Pages has made a big impact with his bat, replacing his glove is a bigger priority as the Dodgers figure out how to replace him for the next four weeks.
"You've got to be mindful of the defense, certainly in center field. Somebody that can handle center field," Roberts said. "We'll piece it together. I'm not sure right now, but I do think that the main thing is locking down center field."
The Dodgers already have two such options active: Hernández, who finished Friday's game in center, and the walk-off hero, Tommy Edman. Edman has only made two appearances in center field for the Dodgers this year, but he has a strong track record at the position. If Edman sees more time in center field, then that would free up more opportunities at second base, which could be another factor L.A. must consider in filling Pages' spot on the 26-man roster.
The only other primary center fielder the Dodgers have on the 40-man roster is Alek Thomas, who was designated for assignment by Arizona and traded to L.A. earlier this year. Thomas has an .855 OPS in 55 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City.