Pages Suffers Fractured Hand in Friday Win

Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star center fielder Andy Pages is expected to miss four to five weeks after fracturing a bone in his left hand when he was hit by a pitch during Friday night’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Multiple outlets, including Newsweek, Sports Illustrated and CBS Sports, reported that Pages was struck by a 100.2 mph pitch from Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler in the third inning of a contest the Dodgers ultimately won 5-4 in 10 innings.

Pages remained in the game briefly after being hit, running the bases and playing defense in the following half-inning before exiting in the fifth. Manager Dave Roberts addressed the injury afterward, describing it as unfortunate but not season-ending. “It’s not season-ending, because obviously things like that is four or five weeks. So I would expect him back, knowing him, on the earlier side,” Roberts said, according to CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated. “There’s still time in the season for him to be back, but I feel for him because he was having such a good year and he likes to play. But yeah, we’ve got to move on and hold down the fort until he’s back.”

The Dodgers placed Pages on the injured list. Roberts later confirmed that Pages underwent minor surgery in which a compression screw was inserted into the fifth metacarpal bone of his left hand to help speed recovery. “I don’t think it changes the timeline. I think it’s certainly gonna be four weeks as the floor for [Pages] to be back with us, but, like I told him in the X-ray room, the season is not over for him, and we expect him back [at] full health,” Roberts told reporters, as reported by Newsweek and Sports Illustrated.

Strong Season Interrupted for Pages

Pages, a first-time All-Star in 2026, has been a key contributor for the Dodgers both offensively and defensively. CBS Sports noted he entered the injury hitting .272/.338/.458 with 21 home runs and ranked among the top 10 outfielders league-wide in defensive runs saved and outs above average. Sports Illustrated added that he had driven in 80 runs with a .796 OPS. He had also provided lineup balance as the club’s top right-handed hitter, posting a 121 OPS+ according to CBS Sports.

The regular season ends September 27, leaving a tight window for Pages to return before the postseason. Heavy. reported that securing a Wild Card round bye could prove critical by buying additional recovery days.

Thomas Recalled to Stabilize Center Field

To fill the roster spot, the Dodgers called up outfielder Alek Thomas from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Thomas, 26, made his Dodgers debut on Saturday against the Pirates, starting in center field and delivering an RBI single. Newsweek reported he went 2-for-7 with two RBIs across his first two games while starting both contests in center.

Roberts emphasized defense as the priority in the replacement. He said the main concern was finding someone who could “lock down center field” defensively, a point carried by Heavy. and Sports Illustrated. Thomas is expected to handle the bulk of starts against right-handed pitching, with Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernández available against left-handers.

Thomas arrived in the organization via a May trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 17-year-old prospect Jose Requena after the Diamondbacks designated him for assignment. Santa Ana Orange County Register and Sports Illustrated detailed his path: a former second-round pick and Arizona’s No. 1 prospect in 2022 who ranked No. 18 overall in baseball that year, Thomas had struggled offensively with the Diamondbacks this season, hitting as low as .181 with a .563 OPS in limited action before the trade. Career-wise he owns a .230 average with 31 home runs and a .634 OPS over parts of five major-league seasons.

With Oklahoma City he rebounded, batting .296 with seven home runs, 40 RBIs and an .855 OPS in 55 games, along with a 116 wRC+. Heavy. noted he was a two-time Gold Glove finalist in 2022 and 2023 and has posted strong defensive metrics including +6 Defensive Runs Saved and +9 Outs Above Average in center field. The Dodgers worked on his swing after the acquisition, including a biomechanical assessment at Maven Baseball Lab in Atlanta. Thomas described the adjustments as “standing a little more upright, lowering the hands” and called his Triple-A stint a “marinating” process, according to the Santa Ana Orange County Register. He has expressed eagerness to contribute: “I looked at it as an opportunity to fix something that will help me in the future.”

Broader Roster Context

The call-up comes as the Dodgers manage other injury absences. Catcher Will Smith, out since early June with neck inflammation, has advanced in his recovery by taking live batting practice, including a session facing Shohei Ohtani, and is expected to begin a rehab assignment. Roberts has indicated Smith will play in the postseason, with a possible return in early September. Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia have formed the catching tandem in the interim while Dalton Rushing deals with an elbow issue.

CBS Sports noted the Dodgers had won five straight games around the time of Pages’ injury and held a three-game lead over the Atlanta Braves for the National League’s No. 2 seed. With Pages sidelined, the club will rely on Thomas’s glove and the versatility of Edman and Hernández to hold the fort in center field through the stretch run.