Los Angeles Dodgers outfield prospect Kendall George injured his left knee trying to avoid a bat dog. The incident occurred during Monday night’s game for the Double-A Tulsa Drillers, league sources have said.
George, considered one of the fastest players in the minor leagues, underwent imaging on Tuesday to determine the severity of the injury. The Dodgers’ 2023 first-round pick’s initial knee tests were not optimistic, but the organisation is awaiting official results, according to a source.
Awkward Landing Causes Injury
George came around to score on a Josue De Paula single in the second inning of Monday’s 14-8 Tulsa victory. The bat dog came by him to retrieve De Paula’s bat, forcing George to jump out of the way. He then landed awkwardly on his left leg.
Footage showed George hobbling back to the dugout and slamming his helmet in frustration.
He also appeared to be limping and was removed from the game after trying to avoid a collision with the bat dog.
George’s Performance and Ranking
The center fielder has been a bright spot amongst the Dodgers’ outfield prospects. Through his first 200 plate appearances (43 games) at the Double-A level, he hit .333 with an OPS of .814.
After swiping 100 bases with High-A Great Lakes one year ago, George already had 26 steals to start the year with the Drillers, and was caught just three times.
That elite speed trait was a differentiator in a stacked system, despite him slugging just four home runs in 268 games in professional baseball. During spring training, George ranked 13th among Keith Law’s list of Dodgers prospects.
Law compared him to Rays outfielder and speedster Chandler Simpson.
The injury could be a devastating blow for a prospect who made massive strides with his contact rate this season. He had accelerated his own major-league timeline in the process.