With Teoscar back, here's how Dodgers' lineup might shake out

LOS ANGELES -- For the first time this month, the Dodgers' lineup was back at full strength. Now, they have the high-class problem of figuring out the best way to get everyone the playing time they need.

Right fielder Teoscar Hernández was activated from the 10-day injured list before the Dodgers dropped their season-high fourth straight game, 9-5, falling to the D-backs at Dodger Stadium. Outfielder James Outman was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding move.

The Dodgers also got utility man Tommy Edman back on Sunday. Both Edman and Hernández were in the lineup Monday for the first time since April 29, four days before Edman went on the IL with right ankle inflammation. Hernández was sidelined three days after that with a left groin strain.

Their absences opened the door for former KBO star Hyeseong Kim to get his first taste of Major League action and for Andy Pages to slide from center field to right. Now, there's some question of how the playing time will shake out with all of them on the active roster.

"I don't think [Edman and Hernández are] going to be ready to Iron Man it quite yet," president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Sunday. "We'll mix in guys and figure that out, and as guys get to be more healthy and playing more, we'll figure out where to go from there."

On Monday, Pages got a day off, and Edman started at second with Kim in center field and Hernández in right. There are several moving parts with both Edman and Kim capable of playing the infield and outfield.

Here's a look at how the Dodgers could approach playing time at the relevant positions:

Second base
Edman and Kim have both won their league's top defensive honor at second base in the past. With Kim still acclimating to the Major Leagues, the Dodgers will likely lean toward playing him at the position where he has more experience when he and Edman are in the lineup.

That was not the case on Monday, though. Being mindful of Edman's ankle, the Dodgers opted not to have him play back-to-back games where he would have to run at top speed in center field. Instead, Kim got his third start in center, and lost a first-inning fly ball in the twilight sky that dropped for an RBI double.

Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that Kim's limited experience in center -- where he never played in the KBO -- contributed to the mistake.

"I think right at that point in time, he's just trying to find the baseball and not really letting the guys to the side know that he is having trouble," Roberts said. "But that's more experience and kind of an outlier play."

Kim has yet to start a game against a left-hander, so second base should be open for the switch-hitting Edman when the Dodgers are facing a lefty starter.

Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas can also man second against a southpaw if Edman is needed in center field instead.

Outfield
The full-strength starting outfield has generally been Michael Conforto in left, Pages in center and Teoscar Hernández in right. That won't change much.

“Andy is an everyday player," said Roberts. "He’s earned it. … I think that with Kim -- getting Tommy some days once in a while; I think getting Teo a day here or there to get his feet back and legs back under him. We’ll give Michael a day here in the next two. I think that’ll be a way to kind of keep Kim involved. I would probably say 3 1/2 times a week, getting him in there to start."

The decision the Dodgers made by keeping Kim in the Majors is similar to the calculation they made with top prospect Dalton Rushing, who is up as the backup catcher. The team believes that it can strike the right balance with enough playing time and valuable experience to continue its young players' development.

"It's going to be hard to get regular, everyday playing time," Friedman said. "But we feel like there will be a good amount. And if at some point, if there's not, we'll assess it and make a decision.”