'Back to health' Dodgers mull options with Edman

LOS ANGELES -- Tommy Edman came off the injured list and started in center field on Wednesday, providing a glimpse at what the Los Angeles Dodgers' alignment might look like at full strength.

Edman's return, after missing the last five weeks with a recurrence of a right ankle injury, pushed Andy Pages from center field to left, with Teoscar Hernandez remaining in right and the struggling Michael Conforto relegated to the bench.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Edman will get the majority of his starts against opposing left-handed pitchers -- like Kyle Freeland, the Colorado Rockies' starter on Wednesday -- and that Conforto will still be in the lineup when the Dodgers face righties.

Edman is a switch-hitter who has fared better this season against lefties (.737 OPS) than righties (.647), but is navigating a down year altogether, slashing .228/.281/.396 in 86 games. His presence should at least improve the team's defense, though the ideal setup has Pages in right field because of his superior arm strength.

Hernandez has graded out as one of the worst right fielders in the sport this season, with minus-nine outs above average, but Roberts left him there because of his comfortability at the position -- while adding that his defense has improved of late.

"I'm toying with it," Roberts said of flipping Pages and Hernandez. "Obviously like Andy in right, like the arm. Teo finished the season last year in left field [after Mookie Betts returned to right], so we've shown we can win a championship with him in left field. Not quite there yet, but thinking about it. And a lot of it is contingent on how Tommy looks as well."

The Dodgers might also be toying with the possibility of having Roki Sasaki help their beleaguered bullpen. Sasaki, the prized Japanese pitching sensation who has struggled mightily in his first season in the majors, had an encouraging start for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate on Tuesday, averaging 98.3 mph with his fastball -- about four ticks higher than his prior start -- and reaching 100 mph six times.

Sasaki was charged with three runs on three hits and four walks, but most of that damage came after the fourth inning. What impressed Dodgers officials was the command he displayed not only of his four-seam fastball, but also of his splitter and cutter, the latter of which replaced the slider.

Sasaki, who has made five starts in what has amounted to a rehab assignment while coming off a right shoulder impingement, is expected to to meet with Dodgers officials about his next step this week. The Dodgers' rotation is full, with six starters performing well, but the team desperately needs help late in games.

"We'd have to see it here," Roberts said when asked if he believes Sasaki can be an effective reliever. "We still have time, but we're gonna have to see it here obviously. We gotta make a decision at some point in time, where we're gonna move forward here in the next couple weeks."

Edman, 30, missed a couple weeks at the start of May with an injury to the same ankle and struggled upon returning, prompting thoughts that he might have come back too early. This time, he played in five rehab games for the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate, starting either in center field or at designated hitter. Roberts wants to see Edman move around in games before determining how he'll split his time between center field and second base, which essentially determines whether infielder Miguel Rojas or outfielder Alex Call starts against lefties.

"I think they're probably about the same right now," Edman said about his ability to play either position. "It's not really [where] one will feel way better than the other. I guess I won't really know until I play both positions, but I think the biggest thing is just gonna be the first step. I feel like I'll get a better feel for that when I have to make a couple tough plays out there."

Edman, whose activation prompted journeyman outfielder Justin Dean to be sent back to the minor leagues, is the latest in a string of Dodgers players to return off the IL, following third baseman Max Muncy and lefty reliever Alex Vesia earlier this week.

Outside of backup catcher Dalton Rushing, who should return at some point next week, the Dodgers are currently whole on the position-player side. Their offense has surprisingly underwhelmed this season, especially lately, ranking 24th in the majors in runs per game since the start of July. They hope that now is the time when it finally start to turn.

Said Roberts: "I think that we've all been waiting for our guys to come back to health and kind of see what we look like as the ballclub that we all envisioned."