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Dodgers outfielder gets injury update from Dave Roberts after scary HBP
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- Dodgers outfielder gets injury update from Dave Roberts after scary HBP
The post Dodgers outfielder gets injury update from Dave Roberts after scary HBP appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The Los Angeles Dodgers cruised to a 9-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday night, but the victory came with a brief injury scare involving veteran outfielder Michael Conforto .
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In the bottom of the sixth inning, Conforto was drilled on the side of his right knee by a pitch. He initially stayed in the game, running the bases without any visible limp, and later scored during the Dodgers' six-run outburst. However, when his spot in the order came up again later in the inning, Alex Call pinch-hit for him.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quickly clarified after the game that Conforto's removal wasn't due to any lingering pain from the hit-by-pitch, but rather the lopsided score at the time. "The game is out of hand," Roberts told reporters via Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, noting the decision was precautionary. "He's fine."
Conforto himself downplayed any concerns, saying he felt good running the bases and didn't require an X-ray. "I'm fine," the 31-year-old outfielder confirmed. With the Dodgers set to face left-hander Eric Lauer on Sunday, Conforto is expected to begin the finale on the bench regardless of how his knee feels.
Dodgers take down Blue Jays in blowout fashion
Aaron Doster-Imagn Images
Before the HBP, Conforto had contributed to the Dodgers' offensive surge, doubling to deep right field in the fourth inning as part of a night where nearly everyone in the lineup chipped in. The turning point came in that explosive sixth, when L.A. turned a tight 3-0 lead into a blowout.
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Andy Pages started the inning with a single, followed by Conforto taking the pitch off his knee. A walk to Alex Freeland loaded the bases, and Dalton Rushing delivered a two-run single to make it 5-0. Shohei Ohtani was intentionally walked to reload the bases, but Mookie Betts immediately made Toronto pay with an RBI single. Freddie Freeman struck out, but Max Muncy 's walk kept the inning alive for Pages, who capped the rally with a two-run double.
By the time Call flied out to end the frame, the Dodgers had plated six runs on four hits, effectively sealing their fourth win in their last five games.
Toronto's only response came in the eighth when Ernie Clement homered to center, but the Blue Jays never mounted a serious threat. Dodgers pitching, led by a strong starting effort and a stingy bullpen, held the Blue Jays to just one run and five hits overall.
With the win, the Dodgers improved their grip on the top spot in the NL West and continued their push for the league's best record. For Conforto, the scare turned out to be nothing more than a bruise, and with Roberts confident in his status, the Dodgers can breathe easy as they wrap up the series on Sunday.
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