For much of the early goings of the season, Los Angeles Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson has platooned with the likes of Trayce Thompson and Kike Hernandez. However it may appear, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts maintains the setup is not a platoon, per se.
Pederson did start one game last week against the Tampa Bay Rays, despite left-hander Matt Moore being on the hill. The 24-year-old center fielder then started all three games in the series with the Toronto Blue Jays, who trotted out one right-handed starter after another throughout the weekend.
In his rookie year last season, Pederson spent time in the leadoff spot until he began to struggle, which prompted then manager Don Mattingly to move him down in the order. Carrying over from last season, Roberts has mainly hit Pederson in the bottom half of his lineup.
Through 31 games this season, Pederson has put up a slash line of .275/.379/.941 with six home runs, 14 RBIs and 16 runs scored. He made the most of his playing time over the weekend, recording at least one hit in all three games.
On Saturday, that included a tape-measure solo home run to dead center. Marco Estrada largely kept the Dodgers in check in the three-game finale, allowing just one hit through six shutout innings.
Pederson was particularly flummoxed, striking out in each of his first two at-bats. However, he got the better of Estrada in the seventh inning, sitting on a first-pitch curveball and tying the game with a solo home run:
The Dodgers went on to beat the Blue Jays, 4-2, to finish 3-2 on their five-game road trip.
