Tommy Edmans return shakes up Dodgers part-time playing time

Welcome to The California Post’s weekly Dodgers recap, where baseball writers Dylan Hernández and Jack Harris review the week that was, hand out very official awards and take stock of the state of the season.For the last three weeks, opportunities had been plentiful for some previously part-time players in the Dodgers’ lineup.At second base, Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland have split at-bats in a platoon.In left field, there’s been a similar tag team of Alex Call and Ryan Ward.For the most part, the math has been simple.

Against left-handed pitchers, the right-handed-hitting Rojas and Call play.Against righties, the left-handed Ward and switch-hitting Freeland get the nod.The results have been somewhat mixed, from Ward’s impressive .895 OPS to Rojas’ resurgent .280 batting average to Call’s sudden 8-for-38 slump going back to May 28 — the point at which injuries to Kiké Hernández and Teoscar Hernández created the new arrangement.But without other options, each of their roles were steady.Now, with Tommy Edman back, playing time will be at a premium again.While Edman made his long-awaited return from offseason ankle surgery at third base on Wednesday (filling in for Max Muncy on a scheduled day off), most of the switch-hitting utilityman’s starts figure to come at second base or left field.That means, between Rojas, Freeland, Call and Ward, at-bats will inevitably begin to go down.How exactly the pie will be split remains to be seen.

Manager Dave Roberts noted the team “feels really good” about playing Edman against left-handed pitchers (bad news for Rojas and Call).Then again, his best position is likely at second base (where Freeland, who is hitting .228, has gotten most of the starts this year).These are good problems for the Dodgers to have, of course, and will only continue as the Hernándezes eventually return to health (Teoscar is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment this week).But it means someone will wind up getting the short end ...