The Dodgers have a bunch of 1B's available with Freeman at 1B for a long time. They have Ryan Ward, a lefty hitting 1B that can also play LF and RF and has played some 2B. Why not try him at 1B until Tork figures it out at AAA? Ward was in AA last year. Career minor leagues he walks 10% of the time and K's 22%.

As it is, besides Tork, there really isn't another 1B on the roster. Sure, Schoop could play there but why? He can't hit.

Dodgers are hurting with Lux out... maybe a Kreidler for Ward deal? Kreidler is solid defensively. He has experience. He's cheap.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 45 | Field: 40 | Overall: 40

Bryant's best hitter since the program moved to NCAA Division I in 2009, Ward earned All-America honors in both his seasons as a regular while batting a combined .395/.449/.625. An eighth-round pick in 2019, he topped Los Angeles farmhands with 27 homers during his first full pro season in 2021 and has contended for the Minor League lead this year. He's similar to fellow Dodgers small-school find Matt Beaty, albeit with more pop and less pure hitting ability.

Ward came out of college with a long left-handed stroke that included a bat wrap, and the Dodgers helped him adopt a more vertical setup and improved bat path. Those modifications allow him to tap into his plus raw power more easily. He looks to launch balls with an aggressive approach, but his hand-eye coordination enables him to make consistent contact and do damage.

Ward looked like a platoon player at best when he scuffled against left-handers in his first two pro seasons, but he's shedding that tag by rocking southpaws in 2022. Most of his value will come from his bat because his athleticism, speed and arm strength all grade as fringy. He's a below-average defender in left field and would be short for a first baseman at 5-foot-11.