Dodgers Andy Pages Takes Major Step Toward Return

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages, who has been sidelined with a left-hand fracture, is making significant strides toward his return. The team has announced their intention to activate him during the final homestand of the season, which commenced on Friday. While Pages did not make his debut in the opener and is not on the lineup for Saturday's game, his progress is noteworthy.

According to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, Pages has been facing machine velocity at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. Though he may still need to confront live pitching before the Dodgers activate him, the ability to handle machine velocity is a promising sign. The Dodgers could potentially call up Pages in their upcoming San Diego Padres series, which is a crucial match before their potential showdown with the Arizona Diamondbacks in the postseason.

Pages had an outstanding year as an All-Star, batting .272/.338/.797 with 21 home runs. With other key players like Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernández, and Mookie Betts starting to perform well, the Dodgers could become the formidable team everyone anticipated them to be in the offseason. The team has been among the best in baseball this year, but some of their stars have underperformed.

Tucker has faced challenges throughout the year, and Betts did not perform at his best for much of the season. However, the team seems to be coming together in time for October.