Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson enters play on Friday with a disappointing .217/.321/.326 batting line through his first 53 plate appearances of the season. Despite struggles in the early going, he has received more opportunities as of late in an effort to help him break out of his slump.
The increased workload appeared to do wonders, as Pederson received starts in five of the previous seven games and promptly collected six hits in his last 19 at-bats (.316 batting average). He celebrated his 26th birthday last week by hitting his first home run of the season.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently praised Pederson and explained the decisions to play him regularly are because of the expectation that Pederson is needed for the team to fare well, via Bill Shaikin of the L.A. Times:
“He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do,” Roberts said. “The way that Matt has played early on, he’s earned those opportunities. I still want to be mindful of Joc, staying current and getting those at-bats, because we’re going to need him.”
As Roberts notes, Matt Kemp has earned more playing time himself after his hot start at the plate. The 33-year-old is hitting .313/.348/.563 with four doubles, four home runs and 12 RBI across 69 trips to the plate.
While Kemp has thrived in his second stint with the Dodgers, he has consistently been removed during the later innings for a defensive replacement. That was the case last week in all three games against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park.
Most notably in the opener, Kemp was replaced in the fifth inning in favor of Pederon, despite hitting a three-run home run earlier in the game. Afterward, Kemp was understanding of Roberts’ decision and cheered for Pederson off the bench, who wound up drawing two walks in the contest.
