Cody Bellinger has been by far the best hitter in baseball during the early part of the season, so you can understand why Los Angeles Dodgers fans were concerned when he was wincing in pain during the team’s win over the San Diego Padres on Friday night. While the injury might sound serious, it apparently is not.
Bellinger, who was playing first base, dove after an Eric Hosmer ground ball in the fourth inning and got up favoring his right shoulder. While he appeared to be in pain, Bellinger stayed in the game. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts later told reporters Bellinger’s shoulder popped out and popped back in, and that is not the first time it has happened.
Dave Roberts said Cody Bellinger’s shoulder popped out when dove for that ball in the 4th. It’s apparently happened before. Roberts said he expects him in the lineup tomorrow.
— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) May 4, 2019
For what it’s worth, Bellinger doubled after remaining in the game. He took some swings in the batting cage after suffering the injury and said he felt fine.
Bellinger also battled another minor injury earlier in the year, but none of that has slowed his production. The 23-year-old is hitting .415 with 14 home runs, 38 RBI an on-base percentage of .489 and an OPS of 1.336 in 33 games. The Dodgers will likely play it safe with his shoulder, so having him in the lineup on Saturday would be a good sign.
