Andy Pages targeting Dodgers return before playoffs after fractured hand heals

Andy Pages is hitting off a tee again, and the Dodgers would very much like to keep it that way — preferably in a game that counts.

Per Mark Polishuk at MLB Trade Rumors, citing reporting from The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya, the Los Angeles outfielder told Ardaya that he has started hitting off a tee and is no longer feeling any discomfort in the left hand he fractured when struck by a Bubba Chandler pitch in August. Manager Dave Roberts, speaking to Sportsnet LA and other reporters, said Pages "is coming quickly" toward a return and could continue his rehab work at the Dodgers' spring camp or potentially begin a rehab assignment during the team's upcoming road trip, which is set to begin on Friday.

What happened

Pages underwent a minor surgery on his hand shortly after the injury, per MLB Trade Rumors. That procedure now appears to have him on pace to meet or exceed his estimated recovery window of 4-5 weeks. The progression — from surgery to tee work to potential rehab assignment — has moved faster than the initial timeline suggested, according to the report.

Roberts' comments, as relayed by Polishuk, frame the situation in two distinct phases: an ideal scenario in which Pages returns before the end of the regular season to shake off any rust, and the primary objective, which is ensuring he is healthy for the start of the playoffs. The regular-season return, in other words, is the appetizer. The postseason is the meal.

Why it matters

The Dodgers are 87-57 (.604), sitting first in the NL West with a division magic number of 8 and a five-game winning streak. They are not a team scrambling to survive September; they are a team managing their roster toward October. That context shapes everything about how Pages' return is being handled.

Los Angeles has been navigating a crowded injury ledger in recent weeks. A week removed from a stretch in which Shohei Ohtani missed four consecutive games with right knee discomfort and a sore right biceps — and with Ohtani now back in the lineup but reportedly unlikely to pitch again in 2026 — the club has had reason to be cautious about its most important contributors. Pages, as an outfielder who had been a regular part of the lineup before the injury, represents a meaningful piece of the depth picture heading into the postseason.

The report notes that the true goal for all parties is playoff readiness. A rehab assignment, if it materializes during the road trip beginning Friday, would give Pages live at-bats against professional pitching before the roster picture crystallizes. Under general league rules, position players on a rehab assignment have up to 20 days before they must be activated or have their status addressed — enough runway to get Pages game-ready without rushing the process.

The numbers

The Dodgers enter Tuesday at 87-57 (.604), leading the NL West. Their division magic number sits at 8, and they have won five straight. The upcoming schedule includes a home series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday and Wednesday — with Tarik Skubal opposing Nick Lodolo on Tuesday and Yoshinobu Yamamoto opposing Rhett Lowder on Wednesday — before the road trip begins Friday at Miami.

Where the club stands

First place, five-game winning streak, magic number of 8. The Dodgers are not in survival mode; they are in optimization mode. The question for the final weeks of the regular season is less about whether Los Angeles reaches the postseason and more about who arrives there healthy and sharp.

That framing is precisely why Roberts' comments about Pages carry weight. A manager on a team fighting for its playoff life talks about a player returning to help win games. A manager on a team with an 8-game magic number talks about a player returning to be ready for October. Roberts, per MLB Trade Rumors, is doing the latter.

Is Pages playing this week?

Not yet, per the report. Roberts indicated Pages could begin a rehab assignment during the road trip that starts Friday, or continue work at the Dodgers' spring camp. No specific activation date has been reported, and the club has not made any announcement. The situation remains fluid, with the pace of Pages' progress — hitting off a tee with no discomfort — described as ahead of schedule rather than locked into a fixed return date.

What we don't know yet

The report does not specify where a rehab assignment would take place, how many games it might encompass before Pages is considered for activation, or whether the Dodgers have a target date in mind beyond the general framing of "before the end of the regular season." Roberts' comments, as reported, leave the door open to multiple paths — spring camp work, a rehab assignment, or some combination — without committing to a single timeline.

It also remains unaddressed whether Pages would be available for the postseason roster if he does not return during the regular season. The report frames playoff readiness as the primary goal but does not address roster construction specifics or what a delayed return would mean for his October eligibility.

What to watch

The road trip beginning Friday at Miami is the next meaningful checkpoint, per MLB Trade Rumors. If Pages begins a rehab assignment during that trip, the pace of his at-bats and any updates from Roberts or the club will indicate how quickly an activation might follow. The Dodgers' magic number of 8 means the division could be settled before Pages ever steps into a regular-season game again — which, given the stated priorities, may be entirely by design.

A tee session with no discomfort is a small thing. In September, for a team pointing toward October, small things have a way of mattering quite a lot.