Dodgers prospect Andy Pages singles in major league debut against Nationals

By DAN GREENSPAN
Associated Press

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages went 1 for 4 in his major league debut, a 6-2 win over the Washington Nationals after being recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

“I thought he handled it seamlessly,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Pages, who started in center field and batted seventh in the order.

Pages, a 23-year-old Cuban, lined an opposite-field single to right on the first big league pitch he saw, a 91.9 mph fastball in the second inning, and then scored on Austin Barnes’ single in the 6-2 win.

Pages said through a translator that he would give the ball from his first hit to his wife.

“Obviously felt really great to get that hit,” Pages said. “But it was like kind of a fleeting moment to feel that excitement but also just to take it all in and then be ready for what’s next.”

Dodgers outfielder Jason Heyward has been out since March 30 because of tightness in his lower back and players receiving at-bats in his absence have struggled. Kiké Hernández entered Tuesday’s game with a .189 average and Chris Taylor was at .031 and in an 0-for-28 slump.

Taylor Trammell, who had been brought up on April 3, was designated for assignment after going 0 for 6 in five games.

“I don’t expect it to continue at this clip,” Roberts said before the game. “But, really, the driver is Jason not being around. That’s why we went out and got Trammell initially because we thought it was going to be shorter-term.”

Hernández did hit a solo homer against the Nationals, but Taylor went 0 for 2.

Pages likely will get at least two weeks with the Dodgers, and Roberts said he will start in right field on Wednesday in the finale of the three-game series.

“The impetus was obviously Jason being down, and we just don’t really know his timeline, so it just gives Andy a runway,” Roberts said before the game.

Los Angeles made four other moves with Oklahoma City, optioning left-hander Nick Ramirez and right-hander Ricky Vanasco, selecting the contract of right-hander Eduardo Salazar and recalling right-hander Kyle Hurt.

Hurt was the opener Tuesday, throwing two scoreless innings.

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