The Los Angeles Dodgers earned a series win over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field with a 7-3 victory in a game that saw Mookie Betts make his first career Major League start at shortstop.
Betts was drafted as a shortstop and played at the position this past Thursday before spending an inning there the following day as well.
Although he’s become one of the best right fielders in baseball, the six-time All-Star was given an opportunity to play shortstop following injuries to Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor.
Betts has already made a few dazzling plays at shortstop, and his overall work drew praise from Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, via SportsNet LA:
“It looked right. I thought he looked comfortable, confident, made the plays he needed to. Gave other guys an option to get in there, which I liked, and was kind of the genesis of it. The more you see him, the more he amazes you.”
Although Taylor has since returned to the field and Luke Williams is capable of playing the position, Roberts indicated Betts will continue seeing time at shortstop:
“Yes. Right now, I think there’s a runway. We’ll kind of take the day off and reassess, but there’s a chance we can see him in there on Tuesday as well.”
If the Dodgers opt to make Betts their primary shortstop, it potentially opens the door for prospect Michael Busch to get called up as a left fielder. That would leave a group of Trayce Thompson, Taylor, Jason Heyward and David Peralta fighting for playing time in right field.
Mookie Betts: Playing shortstop for Dodgers ‘like a dream come true’
Betts has enjoyed getting to play shortstop for the Dodgers and said it fulfilled a longtime dream of his. Prior to playing shortstop for the first time in his Major League career, Betts’ experience at the position was limited to 14 Minor League games.
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