A.J. Pollock injury update: Dodgers center fielder to have elbow surgery

Bob Hille

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A.J. Pollock injury update: Dodgers center fielder to have elbow surgery image

Dodgers center fielder A.J. Pollock will undergo surgery Thursday on his right elbow to remove hardware from a previous procedure, the team confirmed Wednesday.

There is no immediate timetable for his return, though manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Pollock is expected back this season.

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Pollock, 31, was placed on the injured list Wednesday as he deals with the infected bursa that was triggered when he banged the elbow on the field in Chicago last week, MLB.com reported.

The veteran outfielder underwent surgeries to repair a broken growth plate in the elbow in 2010 and again in 2016.

Speculating ahead of Wednesday's announcement, the Los Angeles Times wrote that if the hardware from the 2016 procedure was in place, Pollock likely would be out just a few weeks. But if the growth plate needed to be repaired again, Pollock probably would miss at least six weeks. Now, it appears, the answer is none of the above. He'll have the hardware removed, which could mean a longer absence. 

Exactly how long is unclear. Roberts only said it’s going to be "a little bit."

Pollock, who signed a four-year, $55 million deal in the offseason after seven seasons and an All-Star appearance with the Diamondbacks, originally hurt his elbow diving for a ball in a 2010 spring training game.

He is slashing .223/.287/.330 in 103 at-bats this year but when healthy has been one of MLB's top players the past few years, posting an OPS of .900 or better in four of his last five seasons, including an All-Star 2015 season.

Pollock's situation will open up more playing time for rookie Alex Verdugo, who is off to a fast start for the first-place Dodgers (20-13). He started in Wednesday's loss to the Giants, going 2-for-4 to raise his slash line to .342/.368/.616 with a .984 OPS in 73 at-bats.

Roberts also confirmed that outfielder Andrew Toles, who has been away from the team for personal reasons to start the year, has reported to the Dodgers' training facility in Arizona.

Bob Hille

Bob Hille Photo

Bob Hille, a senior content consultant for The Sporting News, has been part of the TSN team for most of the past 30 years, including as managing editor and executive editor. He is a native of Texas (forever), adopted son of Colorado, where he graduated from Colorado State, and longtime fan of “Bull Durham” (h/t Annie Savoy for The Sporting News mention).