Bellinger has surgery for dislocated shoulder
This browser does not support the video element.
LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair his right (non-throwing) shoulder, but he is expected to be ready for Spring Training, the team announced.
Bellinger will begin rehab in Arizona next week, the club added, and he is facing a recovery time of 10 weeks, a source told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. His surgery was performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache in Los Angeles.
Bellinger has dislocated the shoulder several times diving for ground balls and re-injured it celebrating his home run in Game 7 of the National League Championship Series against Atlanta while forearm-bashing teammate Enrique Hern¨˘ndez.
Bellinger still played the outfield for most of the World Series, but he served as the designated hitter in Game 4. Still, he was only 3-for-22 at the plate with one homer and three RBIs against the Rays after driving in five runs in the three-game NL Division Series and five runs in the seven-game NLCS.
This browser does not support the video element.
"I hit Kik¨¦'s shoulder a little too hard and my shoulder popped out," Bellinger said. "They had to pop it back in so I could play defense. It kinda hurt.ˇ±
ˇ°Now Belli knows not to mess with people who are way stronger than him,ˇ± Hern¨˘ndez quipped after the game.
Bellinger, the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year and the '19 NL MVP, is a two-time All-Star and won a Gold Glove in the outfield in '19. But his 2020 season was a struggle, with a .239/.333/.455 slash line and a .789 OPS across 56 games, compared to a 1.035 OPS in 2019.