SAN DIEGO _ It had been 426 days since Andrew Toles took part in a major league game, but the length of time away did not feel significant to him. After tearing a ligament in his right knee in May 2017, Toles felt he proved his place on the Los Angeles Dodgers roster with his performance in spring training. So, no, Toles said, it did not feel as if he had been away from the majors for long.
"It feels like three months," Toles said Monday before the Dodgers played San Diego. "It feels good, though. To be back, to get in here, show people what I can do, or whatever."
The Dodgers recalled Toles after putting Yasiel Puig on the disabled list because of an oblique strain. Puig will be sidelined "a few weeks," manager Dave Roberts said; oblique strains often require at least a month of rest. Toles started in center field against the Padres.
The team came close to keeping Toles on the 25-man roster after breaking spring-training camp. In the end, the Dodgers elected to option him to the minors and stick with Joc Pederson. Pederson has rewarded the club after a slow start, entering Monday's game with an .863 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.
After a torrid first week with triple-A Oklahoma City, Toles sat out nearly two months because of a hamstring injury. He spent time in April, May and June at the Dodgers' complex in Arizona on a rehabilitation plan. He returned to Oklahoma City's lineup June 5 and hit .295 with a .777 OPS in 28 games back. He expressed his commitment toward caring for his body to avoid a recurrence of injury.
"I'm not, like, old," Toles said. "I'm 26. So I shouldn't be having these problems. It's just me being lazy and not getting in there and staying on top of it. So that's what I'm going to do. I'll stay on top of it from here on out, and see what happens."
Toles indicated he had been able to use his legs without restrictions since his hamstring healed. The only thing keeping him from a promotion was the performance from Pederson, Puig, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez. The Dodgers did not need another outfielder.
Toles said he was unable to keep track of the slugging success of his fellow outfielders.
"Ya'll don't even come on TV," he said, referencing the ongoing dispute between SportsNet LA and DirecTV.
