Dodgers' Outfielder Plays First Game Since March; Rehab Could End Soon

Before Tuesday, Jason Heyward's last appearance in a batter's box came all the way back on March 30, a home game against the St. Louis Cardinals. The veteran right fielder went 1 for 5 with an RBI double, and was placed on the injured list with lower back tightness four days later.

Much has happened with the Dodgers' outfield in the meantime. Chris Taylor fell into an early-season funk and never got out. So did James Outman. Andy Pages was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City and stabilized both the outfield and the bottom of the batting order. He's hitting .271 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 25 games.

The Dodgers will have to make room for Heyward on their 26-man roster once he's activated. The only question is when, not if, he'll be back. Heyward is expected to be in the Oklahoma City lineup for a second consecutive day Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Heyward played the first game of his rehab assignment with Oklahoma City, going 0-for-3 at the plate and playing five innings in right field. Heyward struck out twice against San Francisco Giants minor leaguer Carson Seymour. He popped out weakly against another right-hander, Clay Helvey, in his final at-bat:

Jason Heyward had 3 At Bats today for OKC! I hesitate to give results, because, although you're always competitive in the moment, there's way more at play in rehab appearances. Here's video of his entire 3rd At Bat. #dodgers pic.twitter.com/o2Id9IPWEt
— Dodgers Daily (@dodger_daily) May 14, 2024

Although it was an uneventful day for Heyward, his mere return to action sets the stage for an interesting situation as he nears a return. Who will the Dodgers move off their active roster to make room for Heyward when he's activated?

Wrote Maren Angus for DodgersNation.com:

Had Pages struggled at all in his first few games with the big league club, sending him back down would be an easier decision than it is now. The bottom line is that Pages is here to stay, which turns the conversation towards James Outman or Chris Taylor.

Outman burst onto the scene last season and was runner-up to Arizona’s Corbin Carroll in National League Rookie of the Year voting, he hasn’t heated much this season. Taylor has been a key part of the Dodgers over the last few seasons, but his awful numbers are hard to ignore. He’s batting a lowly .071 with four hits and 28 strikeouts in 56 at-bats.
via DodgersNation.com

We could learn as soon as this weekend who will be the odd man out. The Dodgers are wrapping up a three-game road trip in San Francisco on Wednesday night and return home Thursday to play the Cincinnati Reds.

Oklahoma City is playing in Sacramento again tonight. Don't be surprised if Heyward's California adventure heads south, potentially after tonight's game.