Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Juan Uribe will be placed on the disabled list due to the re-emergence of a nagging right hamstring injury, manager Don Mattingly announced Saturday.
MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick had the news:
The Dodgers had more:
Saturday’s news isn’t surprising in lieu of Uribe’s dismissal from Friday’s loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He left the game due to “tightness in his right hamstring,” and the move was dubbed “precautionary” by Mattingly, per Los Angeles Times‘ Everett Cook.
Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times shares why the flaring up of Uribe’s hamstring is especially worrisome for Dodger fans:
Not only had Uribe missed five weeks with a hamstring earlier this season and had only been back in the fray since June 26, but injuries have been a regular occurrence for the 35-year-old as of late. He only played in 77 games in 2011, and just 66 in 2012, as both seasons were cut short by trips to the DL.
Since emerging with the Dodgers in 2013, though, Uribe has proven reliable at first as a utility player and now in the No. 7 slot. This season, his .293 batting average is third among Dodgers batters with at least 17 plate appearances.
The Dodgers have a 5.5-game cushion in the NL West, but the loss of Uribe for the postseason could pose serious problems in the back half of Mattingly‘s lineup. His experience and high batting average will be tough to replace.
Justin Turner took over for Uribe on Friday, and his regular inclusion during Uribe’s absence earlier this year suggests he’ll be next in line to start.
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