The Dodgers activated veteran outfielder Teoscar Hernandez from the injured list yesterday and optioned James Outman to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Hernandez’s return won’t cut into the playing time of hot-hitting 24-year-old Andy Pages, it seems. Manager Dave Roberts told the Dodgers beat last night that Pages is “an everyday player” who’ll see only occasional off-days (including last night).
It would indeed be hard to cut into Pages’ playing time based on his performance of late. The former top prospect posted a league-average .248/.305/.407 slash (100 wRC+) as a rookie but has raked at a .280/.333/.494 clip with nine home runs in just 177 plate appearances in 2025. He and Hernandez have been far and away the team’s two most productive outfielders this year.
There are some reasons to take Pages’ breakout with a grain of salt. He hasn’t made substantial changes to an approach at the plate that still seems like it could use work. Pages fanned in 24.4% of his plate appearances as a rookie and walked at just a 6.5% clip. Both marks were worse than league average. In 2025, he’s slightly pared back the strikeouts (23.2%) but has seen his walk rate dip as well (5.6%). The league-average strikeout rate is 22%; for walks, it’s 8.7%.
Pages is making more contact on pitches within the strike zone, jumping from a slightly below-average 84.8% last year to a healthier 88.2% in 2025. (League-average hovers between 85% and 85.5%.) However, he’s also chasing off the plate more frequently this season and swinging more often in general. Of the 165 qualified hitters in Major League Baseball, only 15 have swung more often than Pages, who’s offered at just under 54% of the pitches he sees. Hitters can certainly succeed with an aggressive approach — Pete Crow-Armstrong swings more often than any hitter in the National League — but Pages has well below-average quality of contact.
None of this is to say Pages can’t or won’t be a solid hitter — but continuing on at a pace that’s about 30% better than average seems unlikely without some refinement to his approach or an uptick in hard contact. Even if he’s “only” around 10% better than average at the plate for the rest of the season, he’s a clear everyday player, given his glovework in center field and his plus speed.
With Pages locked into regular or near-regular reps in center field and Hernandez back to his post in right field, the Dodgers will look to a combination of Michael Conforto and Tommy Edman in left field. Edman figures to be out there on days that Hyeseong Kim gets the nod at second base, although Kim has also played some center field and pushed Pages to left field. Broadly speaking, left field will be handled in more piecemeal fashion.
The 32-year-old Conforto, signed to a one-year deal worth $17MM this offseason, has struggled immensely thus far but still seems like he’ll get the lion’s share of playing time for now. Both that contract and some positive traits that run counter to his bleak .168/.304/.273 slash through 171 plate appearances should net him a bit more leash. Conforto is walking at a huge 13.5% clip, and he’s averaging 91 mph off the bat while putting 47% of his batted balls in play at 95 mph or greater. He’s not expanding the zone all that often, and his contact rate within the zone is nearly 86%.
At some point, the results will need to be there for him to continue getting chances, but it’s understandable right now if the Dodgers are convinced better days are ahead. Conforto mashed at a .273/.329/.529 pace in a near identical playing time sample of 173 plate appearances following the 2024 trade deadline, which helped him secure that contract in the first place.
Why would that be even a question? It would be criminal not to play him.
On paper (no pun intended), Pages is the fourth outfielder on the depth chart, with Teoscar back in the fold. That’s what makes it a question even though, as you note, the answer this pretty clear at the moment.
That closes the book on that argument (pun intended and only mildly regretted)
Disagree with the paper. Teo & Conforto might be ahead of him in theory but Edman is still considered a 2B primarily, even with Kim’s coming up. Pages is a starting OF with no asterisk.
Simon: The fact of the matter is that LA went into this season intending for Conforto, Edman, Hernandez to be their typical starting OF. I’m not advocating for that, but that’s what it was.
Edman is #1 on the 2B depth chart and #3 in the OF.
Conforto shouldn’t be ahead of anyone
Conforto has started to show signs of life in the last week or so. He has made good contact all season, and his BABIP is ridiculously low. It isn’t difficult to see why the Dodgers are giving him a long leash.
He doesn’t have a hit with a runner on base since March, hard to see how that’s a, “signs of life.”
He has indeed been hitting better recently. Hitting with runners on base has nothing to do with it. Like BlueSkies said, his contact quality and BABIP are indicating that he should be getting better results than he has so far.
Thank you for getting it, HH. Not a complicated statistical argument for why the Dodgers are hanging tough with Conforto. Or so I thought.
I don’t get it. Left field is a position where you need someone who can hit, not a .168 avg. with 2 HR and 6 RBIs in 143 ABs. He is not some incredible defender, he shouldn’t be ahead of anyone on the depth chart. It is,“not a complicated statistical argument.”
I have no preconceived notions about Michael Conforto this season, so here’s what I see looking at his season stats:
– .234 babip is well below his career average (.293), so I’d expect some regression there
– As BlueSkies notes, his recent production seems encouraging. Over the last 7 days, he’s slashed .240/.367/.400 in 30 plate apperances
– Over the last 14 days his babip has been at .290, so it seems like he’s making better contact/his luck on balls in play is averaging back out
– I’d be concerned about his lack of homers so far if it was my team.
Conclusion: I think it’s reasonable to expect improved performance more in line with his career norms over the next several weeks. If he continues to not hit for power I might expect to see him lose some starts, particularly against LHP.
Exactly. Further, the Dodgers have shown that they are prepared to cut veteran contracts when they find a better solution. If Conforto hasn’t started to perform more to spec over the next month or so I’d expect them to go shopping.
HH; hitting with runners on base has everything to do with this sport! If you can’t move runners over or drive them in on a consistent basis, then you’re just an automatic out! A below average player who should not be in the starting lineup.
He hit in five games last week and then went back to striking out! Maybe have him stand on plate and get hit at least he will get on base.
The dodgers have a longer runway than most teams due to the fact they are playing for the postseason.
If they were going for the single season win record then I could see drastic moves. But they see the metrics, the day to day work, and what they see behind the scenes. And they are allowing him to work his way into his normal production.
Don’t overlook the pressure of being the only guy signed to be a new everyday position player for the dodgers. It can be intimidating, and might be a process for some. Not saying that’s the case. But it happens.
Doesn’t necessarily mean they wouldn’t. Yankees do this type of stuff all the time when they have a hot-hitting young player.
2.2 WAR in just 44 games is nothing to sneeze at.
There have been some questionable base running decisions but he’s been hitting and has a cannon of an arm.
All I know is that Pages went something like 10 for 12 in LA’s 3 game series against the Pirates, who do few things well, but starting pitching is one of them. The Pirates announcers were jokingly suggesting giving him an intentional walk with the bases empty.
Pages is streaky. Bucs caught him at the wrong time.
He’s been playing at an all star level this yr not saying he’ll make it since there’s a bunch of good outfielders this yr in the NL but he’s in the running
Outman is living up to his name, outside that one season he has been swing and miss on the regular.
if Pages could be more selective at the plate it would increase his on base percentage and He is very streaky hitter so right now he is hot so of course LAD knows to ride this out when your not selective at the plate it leads to slumps and fall into scouting report traps
He’s been encouraged to be more aggressive, and it’s come with results. I’m sure the Dodgers will continue to refine his plate approach, but I don’t see them retreating much on the one change that has made the most difference for him.
And while he doesn’t look it, the kid is only 24.
After looking like he didn’t belong early in the season, he’s gained confidence and stopped making base running and outfield mistakes. So he obviously takes to coaching as well.
His trade value is definitely at an all-time high at this point….
Pages in right (best arm of the three), Edman in center, Teoscar in left….leave Kim at 2nd, where his defense is top drawer. Rojas can platoon with Kim if Roberts wants to play his usual lefty/righty matchup game. Conforto can play left on Teo’s days off, and/or come off the bench.
Expecting Betts to be in his usual spot in right come October….
I would agree with that alignment being the best defensive outfield.
But $17 million is a lot to pay a bench player. And it’s still too soon.
Kim in center field has been an adventure. I know they are trying to get him reps for later in the year, but it’s been painful to watch. But he does seem like he’s a good enough athlete to be adequate there in time.
If Conforto keeps it up, he’ll be going the way of Barnes and Taylor soon enough….
This is the answer. Screw the contract, dump him. He’s worse than Barnes and Taylor and a decade of time didn’t save them.
Come on, Conforto is way more talented than those two.
Team chemistry seems shot over there
Spending a lot of time in the Dodger clubhouse are you?
Nah, just an observation based on watching the games
I see most of these games on internet or tv. Chemistry seems good. Even during recent losses. Only thing Dodgers need to worry about is having the right pitchers healthy when the post-season starts. I think they should keep Yamamoto on the extra day rest. But they know more than me and they do want to edge the Padres for the division.
Yamamoto’s current schedule is all about the dearth of starting pitching. As soon as they have enough starters, they will go back to Yama once a week.
This isn’t football. You don’t need much chemistry, just production.
you dont know the power of friendship
Pages made a couple of tremendous throws last weekend that were really impressive as well.
He looks like a really good all around ball player.
He definitely looks better in right than center.
I don’t see how LA can stay in first place with Yamamoto being the only starter with an ERA under 4.00. LA’s offense is not consistent enough to overcome the bad pitching.
Except for Yamamoto the surviving pitching has sucked but Dodgers and Cubs lead MLB in runs scored.
Was implied above, but with Teoscar and Edman back no need to play Kim out of position. He got the DBacks off to a flying start last night by misplaying a routine fly ball. Lost it in the twilight and did not call for help. Conforto may have great analytics but he can sit until one of Pages or Kim cools off.
While i applaud the Dodgers decision to cut Taylor you have to think Conforto can’t be far behind
They need to cut ties with Banda also
This year’s Phil Bickford.
Its wild to me that Roberts started Kim in CF and Tommy at 2nd….I guess thats why Im not a big league skipper. BUT, if I was, I would go with this:
Tommy Tanks starts in CF
H.S. Kim starts at 2nd
Pages starts in RF
Teo starts in LF.
Conforto (stinks) but is making bank…..spot start, PH, or trade and eat a portion.
Roberts said Edman was at 2B & Kim in CF due to Edman’s ankle. Not a permanent thing.