Since Ryan Ward was called up to the Dodgers MLB roster in place of Teoscar Hernandez, who has been on the injured list for a left hamstring strain, he’s made the case that he needs to stay on the roster.
Appearing as a guest on Dodgers Territory on Thursday, June 18, Ward revealed that his early big league success goes to his preparation alongside Dodgers third base coach, Dino Ebel.
“Usually like 1:15, 1:30, I’m out on the field one on one with Dino, going through our little routine that we have,” Ward said. “… Then I’ll go right to [Chris Woodward] and kind of do some hand drills out on the field. Which I like because it’s one-on-one, there’s no one in the stadium. I can go all out.”
Since Ward made his debut with the Dodgers on May 29, he’s been serving as a platoon outfielder and has been making an impact on the field, serving as one of the more consistent hitters on the team, hitting with a .256 average, 3 home runs, 11 RBIs, and a .862 OPS.
Ward has even been outperforming some of the regulars in the Dodgers outfield, such as Alex Call and Kyle Tucker, who signed a 4-year, $240 million contract with the team this past offseason.
Because of Tucker’s contract, it’s likely that when Hernandez comes back from injury, manager Dave Roberts will have to make a tough decision on who to send down between Ward and Alex Call, who has produced similar production, minus the power.
The future for where Ward will be once Hernandez returns from the injured list remains unknown. But what is certain is that he is enjoying his time working alongside Ebel, before the fans enter the ballpark.
“I can make myself uncomfortable in certain situations and not feel the pressure of cameras and people watching me mess up,” Ward said.
“Honestly, before [batting practice], I flip it. I go back to the infield, they want me still doing both, so before batting practice, I’ll usually go take my ground balls and stuff at first base. And once batting practice starts, I’ll go back out to the outfield and do my left field work.”
