Andy Pages is back in the Dodgers’ center field with six regular-season games left, and Los Angeles is counting first on the glove. The rookie returned from the 10-day injured list Tuesday before the opener against the Padres, ending a month away after a fractured left hand.
| Pages’ 2026 line before injury | Figure |
|---|---|
| Batting average | .272 |
| August batting average | .288 |
| OPS | .796 |
| RBIs | 80 |
| Outs Above Average | 8 |
| Defensive percentile | 94th |
Eliezer Alfonzo was optioned to make room for Pages, whose injury dates to Aug. 21. He underwent a minor operation in which a compression screw was placed in the hand, helping the fracture heal on schedule.
Center field is the immediate assignment
Pages was among Los Angeles’ most productive hitters before the injury, sharing the club lead in RBIs with Shohei Ohtani. But a front-hand injury can be slow to leave a hitter’s swing, particularly because the lead hand guides the barrel through contact. The Dodgers are not expecting him to instantly find his old timing.
His preparation also came without a traditional rehab assignment. Triple-A had finished its season, the organization’s other affiliates were occupied with playoff games, and there were no healthy internal pitchers available for live batting practice at Dodger Stadium. Pages worked against machines and took part in a simulated game Saturday before returning to the Major League roster.
That leaves the bat as a day-to-day question entering the final week. The defense is not.
Pages has eight Outs Above Average and stands in the 94th percentile among qualified defenders. For a Dodgers club heading toward October, that range in center gives manager Dave Roberts a dependable option in games where one ball in the gap can decide the night.
“His defense is a major part of his value, even with some uncertainty about the offense after the injured list,” Roberts said. “We still believe in the bat, but handling a premium position that well matters a great deal.”
Roberts comfortable with a full workload
Roberts had said over the weekend that Pages’ usage would need attention during this stretch of six consecutive games. By Tuesday, however, he was comfortable with the center fielder taking a regular nine-inning load.
Pages stayed active with lower-body work while his hand recovered, and Roberts said the club views his legs and overall conditioning as ready. Los Angeles can make a late defensive adjustment if necessary, but the present plan is for Pages to remain in games rather than work under a strict innings limit.
“I feel good about him going nine,” Roberts said. “He has put in a lot of work with his legs and conditioning. We can make a change if we need to, but the expectation right now is that he finishes the game.”
For the Dodgers, that is the immediate value of Pages’ return: a trusted center fielder back in the middle of the diamond, with a few regular-season games to let the hand and the bat catch up.
