AJ Pollock leaves game with left hamstring strain

Dodgers left fielder AJ Pollock left Friday night’s game against the Angels with a left hamstring strain, and will be reevaluated Saturday to determine whether he needs a stint on the injured list.

“Right now as I understand it, it’s a Grade 1, so he’s day to day,” manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s not right now an IL situation, but we’ll see how he feels.”

Pollock pulled up when trying to field a ball hit by Mike Trout in the sixth inning, and the ball got past him for a triple. Center fielder Chris Taylor after the play then went over to Pollock and signaled for a trainer to come out, and Pollock was removed.

With a double in three at-bats on Friday, Pollock is hitting .261/.313/.446, a 107 wRC+, including .311/.367/.644 in his last 14 games.

Nine players currently occupy the Dodgers disabled list, 11 if you include Caleb Ferguson and Tommy Kahnle, both of whom are out for the year after Tommy John surgery. Three in the infirmary are position players — Cody Bellinger, Zach McKinstry, and Edwin Ríos.

The Dodgers have only three position players remaining on the 40-man roster. All are outfielders — left-handed batters Luke Raley and Zach Reks, and right-hander DJ Peters. Roberts said two position players will come to Anaheim on Saturday, just in case. One will be activated in place of a relief pitcher — Edwin Uceta seems like a prime candidate after his 2⅓ innings on Friday — and both would be activated should Pollock be placed on the injured list.

The Dodgers at the moment are carrying 12 position players and 14 pitchers, and with off days looming Monday and Thursday, they have little need for 10 active relievers. When Pollock was removed on Friday, rather than use catchers Austin Barnes or Keibert Ruiz out of position, the Dodgers put infielder Sheldon Neuse in left field for just the fourth time in his professional career, losing the designated hitter in the process.

“To learn it was Grade 1 I think is a best-case scenario,” Roberts said. “But right now, whatever comes our way, we’ve got to be able to handle it.”