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Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Dodgers Dugout: Why it's time to move Mookie Betts down in the order
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. My third grandchild, Paisley, was born this week. Things like that give Brock Stewart pitching poorly the proper perspective. The Dodgers season was going along just fine. We had grown accustomed to the pitching doing poorly, and being injured, and were just waiting for the start of the postseason. But, no, the Dodgers had to thrown in a new wrinkle: The offense is now terrible too. So what has happened to the offense? Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández stopped hitting. Max Muncy was injured. It seemed that only Will Smith could still get the key hits when needed. Let's take a look at the team's hitting in July: Alex Freeland, 1 for 2Will Smith, .349/.461/.587, 22 for 63, 3 doubles, 4 homers, 7 RBIs, 12 walks, 15 K'sMichael Conforto, .273/.342/.485, 18 for 66, 5 doubles, 3 homers, 7 RBIs, 6 walks, 15 K'sFreddie Freeman, .253/.327/.352, 23 for 91, 6 doubles, 1 homer, 13 RBIs, 9 walks, 32 K'sMiguel Rojas, .250/.361/.481, 13 for 52, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 5 RBIs, 9 walks, 9 K'sAndy Pages, .247/.299/.382, 22 for 89, 3 doubles, 3 homers, 9 RBIs, 6 walks, 26 K'sTeoscar Hernández, .232/.284/.362, 3 doubles, 2 homers, 11 RBIs, 5 walks, 20 K'sMookie Betts, .205/.261/.325, 17 for 83, 4 doubles, 2 homers, 5 RBIs, 6 walks, 14 K'sShohei Ohtani, .204/.321/.505, 19 for 93, 1 double, 9 homers, 19 RBIs, 16 walks, 32 K'sHyeseong Kim, .193/.207/.211, 11 for 57, 1 double, 3 RBIs, 1 walk, 24 K'sEsteury Ruiz, .190/.261/.333, 4 for 21, 1 homer, 2 RBIs, 2 walks, 8 K'sDalton Rushing, .179/.200/.214, 5 for 28, 1 double, 2 RBIs, 8 K'sTommy Edman, .156/.239/.230, 2 homers, 6 RBIs, 5 walks, 15 K'sJames Outman, .067/.176/.133, 1 for 15, 1 double, 1 walk, 5 K'sMax Muncy, 0 for 5Kiké Hernández, 0 for 9Team, .226/.302/.375, 31 doubles, 30 homers, 80 walks, 226 K's, 3.79 runs per game That's pretty brutal (however, note how well Conforto has been hitting for over a month now). Let's look at the team rankings in July among the 30 MLB teams: Batting average: 28thOB%: 27thSLG%: 25thRuns: 28th They were last in doubles and triples, 15th in home runs. Things have picked up slightly in August. Freeman is hitting .458 with power, Ohtani is hitting .400, Teoscar is hitting .250 with power. The only one still not hitting is Betts, who is hitting .174 in August. They are only 3-3 in August and are 13-17 over their last 30 games. Betts is having the worst season of his career, and it's not even close. Let's look at his OPS+ each season (remember, OPS+ compares a hitter to the league average. An OPS+ of 120 means the hitters is 20% better than league average, an OPS+ of 80 means they were 30% worse. 2014: 1262015: 1172016: 1332017: 1082018: 1862019: 1342020: 1472021: 1262022: 1402023: 1652024: 1422025: 88 His best season, 2018, was the year he won AL MVP with the Red Sox. With the move to shortstop, the Dodgers have gone from having a perennial Gold Glove and MVP candidate in right field, to an average (at best) fielding, below-average hitter at shortstop. I checked at Baseball Reference, and looked for Dodgers shortstops who had a career OPS+ near 85 and similar fielding stats. The answer: Greg Gagne and Bill Russell. And, when you think about it, Betts is playing about the same as Russell did, only 50 years later in a much different game. Betts talked to Times columnist Dylan Hernández before and after Tuesday's game, and had some interesting quotes. Betts said it wasn't the position switch or the illness just as the season began that triggered his slump. It started when Betts broke his left hand in June last season. 'I really haven't been right since I came back from my hand last year,' Betts said. 'Think about it. Go and look at it. I haven't been right since.' OK, so let's look at it. Before his hand was broken, Betts was hitting .304/.405/.488 last season. After that, he hit .263/.314/.497. Lower average, a lot fewer walks, but more power. He hit .290 in the postseason with five doubles and four homers. Then there's this season, where he has fallen off a cliff. There was hope Tuesday when Betts went three for four. But that came on the heels of an 0 for 20 skid, and he followed it up by going one for four Wednesday as the Dodgers lost two of three from the Cardinals. Betts has continued to work hard to improve, taking extra batting practice and doing anything and everything to get better, so the effort is not in question. And it's hard to think of a player who was at the level Betts played at who just stopped hitting all of a sudden. There's usually a gradual decline. Adrián González stopped hitting suddenly, but he wasn't quite at Betts' level, and the shift played into that some. But here's the thing. When the Dodgers moved Ohtani to the leadoff spot, the reasoning was they wanted to give their best hitter the most at bats. Some didn't like it, but they won a World Series with Ohtani leading off. Betts had a .314 on-base percentage last season after his hand was broken. He has a .308 on-base percentage this season. He is batting second. That is not giving the most at bats to your best hitters. It's time to move Betts down to the bottom half of the order. Dave Roberts isn't going to do that, but it's time. For a full season now, Betts' on-base percentage has been subpar. One of the jobs of your top two hitters is to get on base. And maybe Betts will relax a little lower in the order. Who knows. We're not in the Dodgers clubhouse every day to get an emotional read on everyone. Maybe moving Betts down would destroy his confidence. I can't speak intelligently as to those things. But on paper, he needs to move down to sixth or seventh. Maybe try Alex Call in the two spot against lefties. He has a .371 on-base percentage this season and is a guy GM Brandon Gomes called 'a grinder.' He works the count. The Dodgers have fallen out of the habit of doing that. Maybe a fresh look at the top of the lineup will get things going again. Because one thing is for sure. The Padres are looming large in the rear-view mirror. I still believe the Dodgers will make the postseason, but better to do it as a division winner than a wild-card. But, despite this brutal, no-good, very bad season, keep in mind an important fact: Last season at this time, the Dodgers were 66-49 and had a three-game lead over San Diego and Arizona in the NL West. They had just gone 11-13 in July and were 3-3 in August at that time. Some readers and fans online were saying this team would never win the World Series. This season, the Dodgers are 66-49 and have a two-game lead over San Diego in the NL West. They have just gone 10-14 in July and are 3-3 in August. Some readers and fans online are saying this team will never win the World Series. Check out what Jack Harris has to say about the offense by clicking here. —Ohtani got his 1,000th major league hit on Wednesday. 1,405 players have reached the 1,000-hit mark. Remember Amed Rosario, whom the Dodgers acquired via trade twice in the last couple of seasons and then cut loose relatively quickly? He has 1,001 hits (in 100 more at bats). —Ohtani is on pace for 55 home runs this season, one more than he hit last year. However, he has only 16 steals, compared to 59 last year. That's what pitching will do. Have to protect those legs. —Readers ask why Ohtani is striking out so much. Compared to his career norms, he really isn't (a 1.2% increase). However last season, a magical season for him, was his career low in strikeouts, making this season seem worse than it is. His career high is 189, in 2021 with the Angels. He's on pace to strike out 192 times this season, but in 100 more plate appearances than in 2021. —Brock Stewart has given up two runs in 2-2/3 innings with the Dodgers. Apparently they accidentally acquired the 2019 Stewart. —Roki Sasaki has a three-inning simulated game Friday, after which he could go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. —The Giants released former Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes, who went eight for 39 (.205) in the minors with them. —Dustin May made his first start for the Red Sox on Wednesday, giving up three runs in 3-2/3 innings of a loss. —Max Muncy hit two homers Tuesday, his 19th multi-homer game with the Dodgers, tying him for the most in L.A. Dodgers history with Mike Piazza. —Muncy has 205 home runs with the Dodgers, fourth in L.A. history behind Eric Karros (270), Ron Cey (228) and Steve Garvey (211). He's still well off the franchise record, held by Duke Snider (389). —As far as position player injuries go, Hyeseong Kim could be back soon, while the return date for Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández remains murky. —Only 20 pitchers have struck out at least 3,000 batters. Two of them, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, start against each other Friday. You have to appreciate these moments when they happen. —The Toronto Blue Jays come to town next. They just scored 45 runs and had 63 hits in a three-game sweep of the Rockies. And yes, the Rockies are historically bad, but still... Friday: Toronto (Max Scherzer, 2-1, 4.39 ERA) at Dodgers (*Clayton Kershaw, 5-2, 3.29 ERA), 7:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Saturday: Toronto (Chris Bassitt, 11-5, 4.12 ERA) at Dodgers (*Blake Snell, 1-1, 3.21 ERA), 6:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 Sunday: Toronto (*Eric Lauer, 7-2, 2.59 ERA) at Dodgers (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, 10-7, 2.51 ERA) 1:10 p.m., Sportsnet LA, AM 570, KTNQ 1020 *-left-handed Hernández: Mookie Betts sounds depressed, but he isn't giving up on snapping his hitting slump Things are finally turning around for Dodgers' Roki Sasaki 'They've got to perform better.' Three Dodger stars who need to heat up at the plate In 2004, Adrian Beltré hits a go-ahead grand slam. Watch and listen here. Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.
Newsweek
31-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Dodgers Predicted To Land Michael Conforto Alternative In Orioles Trade
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Though their roster has more talent than any other roster in Major League Baseball, it appears the Los Angeles Dodgers still have work to do at the trade deadline. The pitching staff could use reinforcements, but the surprise issue for the Dodgers has been the outfield. Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernández will have starting spots no matter what, but the Michael Conforto contract certainly hasn't worked out the way the Los Angeles Dodgers had hoped. Conforto, who signed a one-year, $17 million deal to join the defending World Series champions, owns a .654 OPS and -0.3 bWAR thus far in 93 games. MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 05: Michael Conforto #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at loanDepot park on May 05, 2025 in Miami, Florida. MIAMI, FLORIDA - MAY 05: Michael Conforto #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat against the Miami Marlins in the second inning at loanDepot park on May 05, 2025 in Miami, positional flexibility means the Dodgers could acquire a player at any of the three outfield positions if they're looking for a Conforto upgrade. And it would appear that the team with the most outfield talent to spare is the Baltimore Orioles. That's why on Thursday, Jesse Yomtov of USA Today predicted that the Dodgers would acquire one of two potential trade chips from the last-place Orioles by the 6 p.m. ET deadline. "The reigning champions need help in the outfield and they'll swing a deal with Baltimore for Cedric Mullins or Ramon Laureano," wrote Yomtov. Mullins, a true rental, has a .732 OPS and 15 home runs this season, and has lately made a habit of robbing home runs. Laureano, who has a club option for next year, has a shocking .887 OPS and 2.9 bWAR; you could make the argument he's been the Orioles' best player. It will be fascinating to see if the Dodgers agree with Yomtov's argument that their outfield is insufficient. They also have the ability to shift six-time Gold Glove right fielder Mookie Betts back to his natural position, as they did last year, if things get desperate. More MLB: Tigers-Pirates Blockbuster? MLB Writer Mocks Pair of All-Stars to Detroit
Newsweek
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Dodgers Should Officially Cut Ties With Struggling $17 Million Outfielder
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Los Angeles Dodgers know moves need to be made in pursuit of back-to-back World Series championships. It won't be an easy task, but that's the goal. Trade deadline moves are made to better the team, but one way they can improve the roster is by cutting ties with outfielder Michael Conforto. Conforto has received 261 at-bats so far this season, and he's currently hitting just .184 with a slash line of .184/.298/.322. The 32-year-old outfielder has just eight home runs and 23 RBI. SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: Michael Conforto #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the six inning at Oracle Park on... SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 11: Michael Conforto #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits a two-run home run against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the six inning at Oracle Park on July 11, 2025 in San Francisco, California. More Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images Let's not act like 261 at-bats is a small sample size either. If this was May, and he had 100 at-bats, there would be some optimism that he could turn things around. However, it's now the middle of July. His batting average isn't shooting up any time soon. Whether the Dodgers dump him in a trade with a high-profile prospect or simply designate him for assignment, a move has to be made sooner rather than later. This type of move would essentially be addition by subtraction as Conforto is hurting the team more than he's helping at this point. In the short term, Dave Roberts would have to do some major reshuffling without Conforto. Hyeseong Kim would have to take over at second base while Tommy Edman would need to return to the outfield. It would be a little unorthodox, but the Dodgers could make do until a true outfielder is brought in. Once this move is made, the Dodgers could then go on to pursue a new left fielder such as Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan or even Ryan O'Hearn from the Baltimore Orioles. One thing for certain though is that the team must rid itself of Conforto and admit that was a bad decision from the offseason. More MLB: Yankees Legend Alex Rodriguez Issues Shocking Statement on Rob Manfred
Japan Today
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Ohtani, Conforto shine as Dodgers beat Giants 2-1 to end 7-game skid
Los Angeles Dodgers' Michael Conforto, center, scores against the San Francisco Giants on Hyeseong Kim's single during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, July 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) baseball By MICHAEL WAGAMAN Michael Conforto had three hits and scored twice, Shohei Ohtani took another encouraging step back on the mound in his recovery from elbow surgery and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Saturday to end a seven-game losing streak. Ohtani threw three scoreless innings in his longest outing in a Dodgers uniform since signing with the team in 2023. Ohtani, who did not pitch last season 2024, threw 36 pitches, allowed one hit and had four strikeouts. The two-way Japanese star was also the Dodgers' designated hitter and batted leadoff. He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Rafael Devers had a sacrifice fly for San Francisco. Conforto, who played for the Giants for two seasons, reached on an infield single in the first inning and scored on Tommy Edman's groundout. He later singled with two outs in the sixth and scored on Hyeseong Kim's hit. Emmett Sheehan (1-0) followed Ohtani and retired 13 batters to get the win. Alex Vesia retired two batters, and Tanner Scott got the last three outs for his 19th save as the Dodgers got their first win since July 3. Giants starter Lando Roupp (6-6) had eight strikeouts and allowed seven hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings. After a diving stop of Andy Pages' infield single up the middle in the second inning, Giants shortstop Willy Adames made an errant flip to second baseman Casey Schmitt for an error, allowing Conforto to move from first to third. Conforto later scored on a groundout. Ohtani's fastball was clocked at 99.9 mph twice in the first inning. Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7, 2.77 ERA) faces Giants LHP Robbie Ray (9-3, 2.63) in the series finale Sunday. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Hamilton Spectator
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Ohtani, Conforto shine as Dodgers beat Giants 2-1 to end 7-game skid
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Michael Conforto had three hits and scored twice, Shohei Ohtani took another encouraging step back on the mound in his recovery from elbow surgery and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 on Saturday to end a seven-game losing streak. Ohtani threw three scoreless innings in his longest outing in a Dodgers uniform since signing with the team in 2023. Ohtani, who did not pitch last season 2024, threw 36 pitches, allowed one hit and had four strikeouts. The two-way Japanese star was also the Dodgers' designated hitter and batted leadoff. He went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Rafael Devers had a sacrifice fly for San Francisco. Conforto, who played for the Giants for two seasons, reached on an infield single in the first inning and scored on Tommy Edman's groundout. He later singled with two outs in the sixth and scored on Hyeseong Kim's hit. Emmett Sheehan (1-0) followed Ohtani and retired 13 batters to get the win. Alex Vesia retired two batters, and Tanner Scott got the last three outs for his 19th save as the Dodgers got their first win since July 3. Giants starter Lando Roupp (6-6) had eight strikeouts and allowed seven hits and two runs (one earned) in six innings. Key moment After a diving stop of Andy Pages' infield single up the middle in the second inning, Giants shortstop Willy Adames made an errant flip to second baseman Casey Schmitt for an error, allowing Conforto to move from first to third. Conforto later scored on a groundout. Key stat Ohtani's fastball was clocked at 99.9 mph twice in the first inning. Up next Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (8-7, 2.77 ERA) faces Giants LHP Robbie Ray (9-3, 2.63) in the series finale Sunday. ___ AP MLB:
