Watch: Horror scenes in Dodgers vs Guardians game as Teoscar Hernandez drops to the ground in agony after nasty hit on the ankle
The Los Angeles Dodgers' season has been marred with injuries to several key players and the National League West leaders faced another setback during Friday's game against the Cleaveland Guardians.
All-Star slugger Teoscar Hernandez was hit on the ankle in the top of the first inning. Hernandez dropped on the floor instantly, holding his ankle in pain after taking an 81 mph slider from Guardians starter Matthew Boyd.
The All-Star outfielder walked to first base after being hit by the pitch and was eventually removed by the game, making a slow walk to the dugout. He will undergo further examination to determine the extent of his injury.
Fans will undoubtedly be concerned by Hernandez's initial reaction after being hit on the ankle as the Dodgers lost former MVP Mookie Betts for nearly two months after he was hit by a pitch against the Kansas City Royals in June.
Betts made his return to the lineup last month after sustaining a fracture in his left hand and the Dodgers will hope Hernandez's injury isn't as bad as his teammate's.
Teoscar Hernandez's injury proves a double blow for Dodgers
Teoscar Hernandez has been one of the more productive hitters for the Dodgers behind a record-breaking Shohei Ohtani. Hernandez has 28 home runs so far this season and seemed on pace to match his career-best tally of 32 homers.
He went 5-for-5 in a multi-hit game against division rivals Arizona Diamondbacks last week as the Dodgers took three of the four games against the Snakes to consolidate their lead.
But the latest injury could prove to be a worry for manager Dave Roberts as the two-time All-Star has had several clutch moments in his first season in LA.
Roberts' team already suffered an injury setback in the lead-up to Friday's game after starter Gavin Stone was placed on the injured list. Stone is suffering from an inflamed shoulder and is likely to miss the rest of the season, raising further question marks on an injury-plagued rotation.
Stone joins Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw on the injured list with less than a month remaining for the postseason.