The Los Angeles Dodgers will have to regroup after seeing their talented roster lose another key player to injury.
Center fielder Andy Pages suffered a left hand fracture after he took a 100.2 mph sinker, thrown by Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher Bubba Chandler in the third inning Friday night, to his hand.
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Manager Dave Roberts announced after the Dodgers’ 5-4 win against the Pirates on Aug. 21 that Pages’ injury was “not season-ending,” but he expects the first-time All-Star to be out 4-5 weeks.
Pages is considered the team’s top defensive player, leading the team in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and outfield assists.
Offensively, Pages has produced 80 RBI, 21 home runs and 72 runs this season.
The Dodgers will have to explore options that will not only help the team defensively but also provide another solid bat in the lineup.
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Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 10. T-Mobile Park, Seattle: This ballpark fits perfectly in the Northwest with the nearby mountains, skyline and water. It features an “umbrella-style” retractable roof that doesn’t enclose the park, only stopping the rain, while enabling fans to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
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Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 10. T-Mobile Park, Seattle: This ballpark fits perfectly in the Northwest with the nearby mountains, skyline and water. It features an “umbrella-style” retractable roof that doesn’t enclose the park, only stopping the rain, while enabling fans to enjoy the beautiful outdoors.
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No. 9. Camden Yards, Baltimore: Meet the godfather, with its famous B&O Warehouse. This is the original retro-classic ballpark that not only dramatically influenced the look of new stadiums, but changed the fabric of some major cities. Denver, Cleveland, San Francisco and San Diego followed its lead and built downtown ballparks that completely invigorated growth.
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Visit the 10 best MLB stadiums, ranked by baseball insider
No. 8. Coors Field, Denver: The team may stink but the ballpark is so beautiful and the vibe is so cool that it’s become a destination on its own. There’s a purple row of seats signifying the mile-high altitude, and the bullpen could be mistaken for a forest with its trees and running stream. The right-field upper-deck is the hottest bar in Denver.
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No. 7. Dodgers Stadium, Los Angeles: This is the most serene setting in baseball, nestled into the hillside of Chavez Ravine. It has a view of the San Gabriel Mountains beyond the outfield, and downtown Los Angeles behind home plate. It’s hard to believe it was built in 1962 and even though it holds 56,000 fans, it still feels intimate.
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No. 6. Oracle Park, San Francisco: This ballpark has the second-best view in baseball behind PNC Park with its bay backdrop and splash-down hits in McCovey Cove, but only if you happen to sit in the upper deck. The park is already showing its age and its concourses are narrow and cramped, making it difficult to move around, with the Giants already out-growing the place and badly needing more space.
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No. 5. Petco Park, San Diego: This gorgeous park doesn’t quite have the stunning views as Pittsburgh or San Francisco, but it’s pretty darn close. The architecture is beautiful and the old Western Metal Company warehouse in left-field gives it a retro look. It also happens to be located in the heart of the lively Gaslamp Quarter in downtown San Diego.
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No. 4. Target Field, Minneapolis: This may be the most impressive urban design in baseball on its downtown eight-acre site with freeways and trains outside the park, and warehouses to the left. It also has an ultra-modern look inside, with a 360-degree open concourse, that celebrates the club’s glorious history. Its nod to the retro look is the iconic neon Minnie and Paul home-run sign featuring two ballplayers shaking hands over the Mississippi River representing the Twin Cities.
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No 3. PNC Park, Pittsburgh: The most gorgeous ballpark in America. Forget the game on the field. You want to be sitting in the upper deck taking in the view of the Clemente Bridge, the Pittsburgh skyline and the Allegheny River. It’s magnificent.
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No. 2. Wrigley Field, Chicago: There’s not a more beautiful sight than walking into the ballpark and taking your first look at that beautiful green grass, the ivy on the walls and the iconic scoreboard in center field. Taking in a Friday afternoon game, hitting Murphy Bleachers afterward, and enjoying the Chicago nightlife is utopia for any baseball fan.
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No. 1 Fenway Park, Boston: No ballpark in America has the romantic feel or the unique quirks of Fenway Park, from the Green Monster to Pesky’s Pole. It’s not a baseball game, but a religious experience watching games at Fenway.
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The Dodgers called up speedy outfielder Alek Thomas as a replacement for Pages.
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“It felt good,” Thomas said before the game about being called up. “It’s been a little while, so I’m super blessed to be back and happy to help the team in any shape or form.”
Thomas recorded his first hit for the Dodgers and produced an RBI, bringing in Kyle Tucker to help make it a 3-2 game against the Pirates on Saturday, Aug. 22.
The Dodgers acquired Thomas in a trade for Jose Requena back on May 12. Thomas had an .855 OPS with the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate.
If the Dodgers need to explore other options within their own farm system, Josue De Paula could always be considered.
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The 21-year-old outfielder is viewed as the Dodgers’ top-ranked minor league prospect. He’s among the Texas League leaders in batting average (.314), OPS (.969) and RBI (95) this season.
He also has 24 home runs.
The Dodgers are expected to add another veteran bat to the lineup soon with the return of catcher Will Smith.
He participated in batting practice on Saturday against Shohei Ohtani.
Smith was dealing with an inflamed disc in his neck that’s kept him out of action since June 5.
Smith is expected to be activated from the injured list during the first week of September. He is not expected to join the team for its upcoming road trip against the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Andy Pages injury creates huge hole in Dodgers lineup: Who will fill it?
