Although no one knew it at the time, when 34-year-old Dodgers right fielder Jason Heyward tried to rob former Dodger Joc Pederson of his first-inning two-out solo home run to right-center field in Thursday’s ugly 9-3 loss to the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks in front of a sold out Dodger Stadium crowd of 52,320, he suffered an injury to his left knee that may land him on the injured list for what could be a significant amount of time … may and could.

“I felt it immediately when I landed,” Heyward told reporters after the game, from which he was removed for the top of the third inning. “The play happened fast. It was one of those in the outfield where it sill looks like you can catch the ball. Of course, if I had caught it, it would be like robbing a homer, but actually it almost looks like hey, you never know, still jump just in case it didn’t, he hit it well enough. Timing’s everything on those plays. But as soon as I landed, it felt like one of those (unintelligible), I put my feet down, and I, alright, it just doesn’t feel great,” he added.

“On that play that he tried to rob the home run, he came down on his leg,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said postgame. “He’s gonna get an MRI tomorrow, but it’s a knee and he’s a big boy. I certainly don’t see him in there tomorrow, and hopefully it’s not an IL, but I just don’t know right now,” added the Dodger skipper.

To be brutally honest and though not what Dodger fans want to hear, it would be a surprise if the extremely popular Ridgewood, NJ native and first-round draft pick in 2007 out of Henry County High School in McDonough, GA by the Atlanta Braves does not land on the IL – because “…it’s a knee and he’s a big boy.”

But using Heyward’s own words: “…hey, you never know.”

With Thursday’s Dodgers loss and wins by the Padres, D-backs, Giants, and Rockies, the NL West now looks like this:

Play Ball!

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