The good news for the Los Angeles Dodgers is that Dee Gordon has begun participating in baseball activities, taking batting practice and full fielding drills at the Dodgers’ training facility at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. He is likely to begin playing rehab games by the weekend or early next week.
The only question is, will Gordon have a place to play once he comes off the disabled list?
Gordon was placed on the DL after tearing a ligament in his right thumb while stealing third base July 4. With Gordon out, 28-year old minor league journeyman Luis Cruz has filled in nicely, hitting .294 with 25 RBI in 39 games.
The Dodgers have Hanley Ramirez, acquired on July 25, playing shortstop, Gordon’s old position, with Cruz at third base. But will Ramirez slide back over to third base, where he has played 98 games this season, when Gordon returns in September? That would mean benching Cruz, who is hitting .484 (15-for-31) in his last nine games, including two hits Monday night against the Giants.
“The way (Cruz is) swinging now it’s hard not to put him in there. I’ll give him a day here and there,” said manager Don Mattingly. “But when he’s swinging the bat like this it’s hard to put anyone else over there.”
Luckily for Mattingly, the decision on whether or not to bench Cruz doesn’t have to be made for a couple of weeks, as Gordon likely won’t be activated before rosters expand in September.
“Right now we don’t have to worry about it,” Mattingly said. “We’ll see when Dee gets back.”