Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers recalled Alek Thomas on Saturday to replace Andy Pages, who was put on the 10-day injured list with a fractured left hand.
Thomas made his Dodgers debut in the matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates and he’s going to factor prominently in the team’s plans at the position moving forward.
“I see Alek playing center field versus right, and then versus left, I haven’t decided if I want to put Kiké (Hernández) out there or (Tommy) Edman, and it kind of depends on if (Max) Muncy’s playing. So I haven’t decided, but Alek will play versus right,” Roberts said.
Edman might be the least likely of the three to see significant time in center field due to the Dodgers’ general approach of wanting to protect the health of his surgically-repaired ankle.
Meanwhile, this is the first Major League action Thomas has seen since the Dodgers acquired him in a trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 12.
The 26-year-old offers a similar level of play to Pages in the field, but his skills at the plate have often lagged behind in his Major League career.
The Dodgers’ hope when they acquired him was to bring out the best in him with the bat in his hands once he got into their system. The results with Triple-A Oklahoma City have been promising, as Thomas has hit .296/.362/.493 with 17 doubles, three home runs and 40 RBI in 223 at-bats.
Thomas’ performance improved in a few key areas since joining the Dodgers, including walk rate, strikeout rate and wOBA. His wOBA in particular improved to a healthy .379 after reporting to the Comets.
Roberts has heard nothing but great things about Thomas since the former second-round pick joined the organization.
“Great buy-in, great teammate. Actually, been better versus left, I think, than right. But a really good defender, and had a good chat with him earlier,” he said. “The vibe down there, the culture down there that (Scott) Hennessey’s doing is great. The guys are great, and he’s happy to be back in the big leagues.”
Dodgers believe Andy Pages will return this season
While the full extent of Andy Pages’ left hand fracture is not yet clear, but the Dodgers believe it is not season-ending.
Whether or not Pages will require surgery to repair the fracture in his non-throwing hand will be determined after further evaluation this weekend.
But fortunately for Pages and the Dodgers, a potential operation would not impact his timeline for a return that is roughly four to five weeks.
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