The Los Angeles Dodgers have experienced their fair share of turmoil this season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has endured months with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the roster thanks to injury. However, one of the more concerning absences came from hitting coach Aaron Bates. Luckily for Los Angeles, his blood clots are behind him and he is ready to rejoin the team.
Bates is a former Dodgers pitcher who spent more than a decade with Los Angeles as a player and coach. After his playing career ended, Roberts and the organization kept him on to help develop the team's young bats into contributors at the major league level. For example, a dominant season from Will Smith, the Dodgers' unsung hero, is thanks to Bates and others.
Despite the team's success, Bates' blood clots hung a dark cloud over the clubhouse. Fortunately for him, he was able to identify the problem early and treat it before things got out of hand. The Dodgers dealt with the blood clots in his left leg quickly, resolving the issue in just a few weeks. Now, Bates is happy to be back with Los Angeles, according to The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
“You can get so in the weeds of it, but you step back and watch from far away, it’s just a different perspective,” Bates said. “It’s a good perspective. Everything was cleared. There’s no cancer or anything in my blood. … All my vitals and everything are up, so we can celebrate that.”
Bates' return comes at a key point in the Dodgers' season. With Snell back from maternity leave, he and the rest of Los Angeles' starting rotation is healthy at the right time. Now, it is up to Bates and the rest of the coaching staff to revitalize the Dodgers' potent offense before the postseason begins. If he can, Los Angeles is the favorite to win another World Series title.
