Steve Webb
LOS ANGELES, CA — There are a few changes in store for the Dodgers when superstar Mookie Betts returns to the lineup later this month. According to manager Dave Roberts, Mookie will continue to play shortstop for the club, but will bat second in the batting order, rather than his customary leadoff. “I think that you know having Miggy (Rojas) we know he can play shortstop, but for him to be able to take take down third uh play second at times for Gavin but I think the outset we’re going to have to Mookie play short.”
The change to the batting order makes sense. It’s only logical to break up the two lefties Ohtani and Freeman with a right-handed hitter in the two hole. Betts loves to hit leadoff, so it’s going to be interesting to see how he reacts to this change. You’ll recall that the Dodgers tried to bat Trea Turner leadoff for awhile but it cut into Mookie’s production a bit. We’ll see how he fares with Shohei hitting leadoff.
Defensively, Roberts is still sticking to his guns and putting Betts at short, even though he’s arguably the fourth or fifth best shortstop on the team. We’ll see how long the plan lasts, but prior to his injury, Betts as a defender at short was still a work in progress. In Statcast’s Outs Above Average metric, Betts ranks 34th of all shortstops this year with a -5 Outs Above Average rating. Not great. You have to think that if there isn’t marked improvement from Betts over the next few weeks, a return to the outfield might be in store for the playoffs. It still remains to be seen how Betts’s return will affect the Dodgers’ use of guys like Tommy Edman and Amed Rosario, two guys who are both capable of manning the position.
Stay tuned, Dodger fans; we’ll keep you updated.
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