Dodgers Get Major Reinforcements But Lose Veteran Hitter With Fractured Toe

The Los Angeles Dodgers are about to pull off the baseball equivalent of a line change in hockey.

Three players — third baseman Max Muncy, infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman, and catcher Hunter Feduccia — are set to be activated on Monday prior to the Dodgers’ series opener against the Seattle Mariners at Dodger Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Dodgers are set to place catcher Austin Barnes on the injured list with a fracture in his left big toe, according to David Vassegh of 570-AM in Los Angeles.

According to the initial report from Vassegh, Barnes knew he had the injury in Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, when he started and caught six shutout innings from Clayton Kershaw in the critical series finale. The Dodgers won the game, 2-1.

The Dodgers are expected to recall Feduccia, a rookie whose major league career consists of one at-bat in July, to take Barnes’ place as the backup to Will Smith.

Muncy, 33, has been sidelined with an oblique injury since May. The Dodgers have struggled to replicate his offense at the third base position ever since, cycling through Kiké Hernández and Cavan Biggio — who was recently designated for assignment — with little consistency from the position on offense.

In every non-pandemic season since 2018, Muncy has hit at least 20 home runs. He’d hit nine home runs and driven in 28 runs in 40 games prior to the injury, adding length to a Dodgers lineup that has struggled to get production out of the middle and bottom of its lineup.

Edman, 29, is a career .265/.319/.408 hitter with one Gold Glove on his resume. Edman missed the entire first half of the season after undergoing wrist surgery last offseason.

The Dodgers acquired Edman as part of a three-team trade with the Chicago White Sox and St. Louis Cardinals on July 30 that also sent closer Michael Kopech to Los Angeles.

The corresponding roster moves for Edman and Muncy — who need to be added to the 40-man roster as well as the 26-man roster, because they’re coming off the 60-day injured list — are predictable.

According to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, rookie outfielder Andy Pages and veteran shortstop Nick Ahmed have cleaned out their lockers in advance of Monday’s game.

Pages, 23, has a .246/.305/.388 slash line with nine home runs and 36 RBIs. He’s seen time at all three outfield positions and designated hitter in his first major league season.

Ahmed played 17 games after the Dodgers signed him as a free agent in July. He batted .229 with one home run and two RBIs while providing stalwart defense at shortstop.

The Dodgers are also awaiting further evaluation on first baseman Freddie Freeman. The veteran suffered an injury Sunday when a ground ball struck the middle finger of his right hand, causing swelling.