Mookie Betts: Shortstop or Outfielder for the Dodgers?
Mookie Betts’ defensive versatility has been key for the Dodgers in his first full season as a shortstop. However, the recent performance of the outfielders has led Dave Roberts, the team’s manager, to consider whether Betts would be more valuable in right field. The outfield defense has been a problem for Los Angeles, and Roberts questioned Teoscar Hernández’s play in right field after Monday’s 4-3 loss to the Rockies. Hernández failed to catch a fly ball from Ezequiel Tovar that ended up as a double in the ninth inning, allowing Tovar to score the winning run two pitches later. Despite this, Roberts isn’t ready to move Betts from the shortstop position, where he has played every inning except one this season. Betts had a fielding percentage of .984 and has only committed six errors in 376 chances.Betts, the 2018 American League MVP, met with Roberts after Monday’s loss, but Roberts said it was just to chat. The Dodgers have options in the outfield, but Michael Conforto has struggled with the bat and Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernández, and Hyeseong Kim are on the injured list. Edman and Hernández can play both in the infield and the outfield, which would strengthen the defense. Teoscar Hernández, despite his recent offensive struggles, is a stronger option with the bat than Conforto. Hernández hit a run-scoring double in Tuesday’s first inning that gave the Dodgers a 2-0 lead.“There has to be an alternative, right? And I think right now, the way Mookie is playing at short, without moving him from the position, I think we feel really good about it.”
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
“Given all the things we were going through, have gone through, we are still finding ways to win a lot of games. In its entirety, we can all do a better job, all of us. And so I refuse to try to blame a position, a person. … That’s not what I do.”
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
