Mookie Betts was just one of a few names who struggled hitting in the second spot of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup this season.
Manager Dave Roberts eventually dropped Betts to the cleanup spot because of his scuffles, and it was followed by the 33-year-old starting to find more success. Even if Betts’ production continues to trend upward, Roberts will likely opt to keep him in the middle of the order.
“I like him where he’s at. To be honest, I could see him hitting four or five,” Roberts recently said.
And though Roberts does not know whether changing where Betts hit in the order was the reason behind his success, he acknowledged the two events coincided.
“The truth is, once he did move down to four, he did get going,” Roberts began. “I don’t know the psychology behind it for him. That’s a him question. But the facts are he started swinging better.”
While Roberts is not tempted to insert Betts into the No. 2 spot, he is still considering other options. Tommy Edman has been one of the Dodgers’ best hitters since being activated from the 60-day injured list on June 16 and could offer a potential solution.
“Tommy’s swinging the bat really well from both sides of the plate. Typically, he’s much better versus left-handed pitching, but right now, he’s really been pretty neutral and taking good at-bats versus both,” Roberts said.
“So, yeah, it’s interesting. It’s certainly interesting, and he takes good at-bats. You know what you’re going to get from him. So, I thought about it. Toyed with it.”
The Dodgers’ struggles out of the No. 2 spot are not related to any one player. They have used several marquee names there this season, including Kyle Tucker, Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman and Betts.
However, each has performed below expectations when batting second.
Roberts has hypothesized it may have something to do with Shohei Ohtani’s presence as the leadoff hitter causing players to press in the batter’s box.
Tommy Edman explains success
Edman has gotten off to a hot start this season after recovering from offseason right ankle surgery. Edman attributed his switch-hitting success to being healthy and having a consistent routine over the past month, as well as other factors.
But whether or not he’s elevated into batting second in the Dodgers lineup remains unclear, as Pages has continued to receive the bulk of the starts there.
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