Dodgers: Veteran Outfielder Placed on the Injured List

The Dodgers week didn't start on a high note. On top of Cody Bellinger missing the bulk of the Pirates series with a leg injury, LA got swept by the visitors in a frustrating series. It's not often that the Dodgers drop three in-a-row, especially against a middling team like Pittsburgh.

To add injury to insult, recently promoted veteran outfielder Kevin Pillar suffered a shoulder injury in the final game of the series. The LA Valley native's shoulder popped out in two separate innings during the Dodgers 8-4 loss. One was on a swing, and the other, was due to an awkward slide at third base.

The Orange County Register's Bill Plunkett reported the severity of the injury and chronicled Pillar's reaction.

#Dodgers Kevin Pillar described his shoulder fracture as "the (shoulder) socket basically broke in half." Surgery is likely. He described the diagnosis as "a punch to the gut." Will shoot for a late-season return but still discussing his options.
— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) June 3, 2022

Pillar noted that the injury, just four games into his stint with the Dodgers, is "devastating" (quote via OCR's Bill Plunkett).

"It's devastating. ... It sucks. But I’ve learned to look at everything as part of this baseball journey. … It’s just another chapter in my career. I’m excited to have the surgery and start the road to recovery and see where it takes me."

The Dodgers opted to move Pillar to the IL on Thursday and labeled it as a fracture in his left shoulder. To keep the roster whole, LA promoted Zach McKinstry from the OKC Dodgers (Triple-A).

In 177 plate appearances in OKC, McKinstry is slashing .338/.424./.464.

In 2021, McKinstry played 60 games for the big club but battled injuries after a hot start. He finished with a .668 OPS.