Dodgers GM: Betts And Yamamoto Injuries Won’t Impact Deadline Plans
The Dodgers were recently dealt a couple of significant blows, with both Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto slated for lengthy stays on the injured list. General manager Brandon Gomes addressed the injuries recently, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, saying that the club was unlikely to alter their deadline plans as a reaction. “I actually don’t think it meaningfully changes anything at this point,” Gomes said, “With the expectation that those guys are gonna be back for the postseason.”
Betts was hit by a pitch on his hand and suffered a fracture, with an expected recovery time of six to eight weeks. Yamamoto has a more nebulous timeline with his strained rotator cuff, though the club is expecting him back at some point this season.
Those are obviously significant losses. Betts has more walks than strikeouts this year and has ten home runs as well, leading to a line of .304/.405/.488 and a 158 wRC+. He has done all that while essentially learning shortstop on the fly, having just been handed the job during Spring Training. Despite limited big league experience at the position, he seems to be doing a passable job. Outs Above Average has him at -4 this year but Defensive Runs Saved puts him at +4. FanGraphs has credited him with 3.5 wins above replacement so far on the season, second in the National League to his teammate Shohei Ohtani. Yamamoto, meanwhile, has an earned run average of 2.92 through his first 14 major league starts.
Subtracting those two players from the roster will undoubtedly have an impact on the club’s overall talent level, but it’s understandable that the Dodgers don’t plan to panic and completely change course. The club currently sports a record of 46-30 and the only club above .500 in the National League West. Each of the Diamondbacks, Giants and Padres are just below .500, with each of those three being either 9 or 9.5 games back.
That gives the Dodgers plenty of breathing room and pretty strong odds of winning the division, even with the injury challenges. The Playoff Odds at FanGraphs give them a 92.5% chance of taking the West while the PECOTA Standings at Baseball Prospectus are even more bullish at 95.8%. Both of those outlets give the club around a 99% chance of getting some kind of playoff spot.
With that comfortable position in the standings, the club is likely going to be focusing on whatever moves put their club in best position to win games in October, as opposed to the interim. Going out to grab an innings eater for the back end of the rotation might stabilize things for the next few months but such a pitcher wouldn’t be a big factor in a playoff series when clubs can shorten their rotations to three or four pitchers.
Even without Yamamoto and Walker Buehler, who also landed on the injured list recently with a minor issue, the Dodgers currently have a healthy rotation of consisting of Tyler Glasnow, Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone and James Paxton. They have Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May and Kyle Hurt as options to come off the injured list later this year, as well as Yamamoto. Landon Knack is on the 40-man roster and pitching in Triple-A, potentially coming up to replace Buehler. River Ryan, one of the club’s top prospects, was recently reinstated from the minor league injured list and is pitching in Triple-A as well.
With all of those potential starters, they should be able to find a way to get through the regular season. The larger question will be whether there’s enough for a strong postseason rotation. Glasnow has been great this year but has a lengthy injury history. He’s never topped 120 innings in a major league season and is currently at 93. Yamamoto is now a question mark. Buehler has a 5.84 ERA on the year and is now on the shelf. Miller’s ERA is at 6.00 and he just came off the IL. Paxton and Stone have respective ERAs of 3.65 and 3.01 but less impressive peripherals.
While that group is likely enough to get the club into the postseason, their deadline moves will understandably be focused on how it will play once they get there. In his article, Harris suggests the Dodgers will be focused on high-impact starters, with Garrett Crochet of the White Sox and Jesús Luzardo of the Marlins listed as hypothetical examples. Though as he points out, both of those pitchers have multiple years of control and their respective clubs will set lofty asking prices.
At shortstop, the thinking is likely similar, as the club can get by for now with Miguel Rojas taking over for Betts. Rojas is an excellent fielder who has normally been unimpressive at the plate, with a career slash line of .259/.312/.357. He’s having a strong season, however, with a .288/.333/.449 line in 2024. Perhaps that will regress a bit as he moves from a part-time role to a full-time gig, but he could still be a serviceable shortstop with a numbers a bit lower than that.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the club monitor the middle infield market in the weeks to come while Betts is out, as plenty of other players are struggling. Gavin Lux has received plenty of playing time at second base but is hitting .212/.261/.283 this year. Chris Taylor has moved between the infield and outfield but is sitting on a dismal line of .115/.211/.177. Enrique Hernández has also been in a multi-positional role and has better numbers than Taylor but his .201/.277/.309 line isn’t great either. Cavan Biggio was brought aboard for some extra infield cover with Max Muncy out of action but he’s hitting just .197/.325/.276 on the year between the Blue Jays and Dodgers.
Looking ahead to the postseason, it’s possible that Betts and Rojas could be the primary middle infield tandem if Betts is back and Rojas stays in good form, but the club may not rely on Rojas like that on account of his career numbers. Perhaps that will lead the club to make some kind of middle infield move between now and the end of July, but that was likely the case even before Betts got hurt.
Per the piece from Harris, the Dodgers are willing to put Betts back at shortstop later in the year but haven’t made a final decision. If they want a more experienced option at the position and want to upgrade on Rojas, it’s unclear who could be available. Harris lists Willy Adames and Bo Bichette as theoretical fits but also notes the difficulties in acquiring each. The Brewers have a healthy lead in their division, which likely means Adames is staying. As for Bichette, even if the Jays fall out of the race, there are reasons not to trade him. He’s having a down year and is currently on the IL, so the Jays may not want to sell low. With another year left on his contract, they may prefer to hold if they can’t get what they feel is fair value.
Other speculative shortstop targets may not be too appealing. The White Sox will certainly make Paul DeJong available and he’s having a nice bounceback year, but he still strikes out a ton and has been prone to long periods of ineffectiveness in the past. The Marlins would love to get something from Tim Anderson but he’s performing even worse than he did last year. Ha-Seong Kim is an impending free agent but the Padres are hovering in the playoff race and surely would prefer not to trade him to their division rival.
MLBTR Podcast: José Abreu’s Release, Betts and Yamamoto Hit The IL And Even More Injuries
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Astros releasing José Abreu (2:25)
- The Dodgers dealing with injuries to Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12:30)
- The Yankees are getting Gerrit Cole back but lost Anthony Rizzo (18:25)
- The Braves lose another outfielder with Michael Harris II hitting the injured list (26:55)
- The sad news of Willie Mays passing came out during recording (30:10)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Do the Giants have a chance of getting Pete Alonso? Or will the Mets make additions if they carry the power of Grimace into the deadline? (32:15)
- How should the Nationals address their outfield surplus? And where did all these good pitchers come from? (42:35)
- What are the chances the White Sox package Luis Robert Jr. and Garrett Crochet at the deadline? And if they trade Crochet and Erick Fedde, how will they fill the rotation after? (49:55)
Check out our past episodes!
- Injured Astros, The Chances Of Bad Teams Rebounding In 2025 And More – listen here
- Gambling Scandal, The State Of The Blue Jays And The Orioles’ Rotation Depth – listen here
- Ángel Hernández Retires, Ronald Acuña Jr. Out For The Season And Roki Sasaki’s Potential Posting – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Roberts: Dodgers Expect Betts To Miss 6-8 Weeks
The Dodgers placed Mookie Betts on the 10-day injured list this afternoon, a formality after he suffered a fractured left hand yesterday. Miguel Vargas is back up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his spot on the active roster.
That alone didn’t provide much of an update, but skipper Dave Roberts outlined a loose timetable when speaking with the L.A. beat tonight. Roberts said the Dodgers anticipate being without Betts for 6-8 weeks (X link via Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Miguel Rojas will draw into the lineup as the primary shortstop in the interim.
Betts was hit by a 98 MPH fastball from Dan Altavilla in yesterday’s win over Kansas City. The Dodgers revealed after the game that he’d sustained a fracture. It halts what could have been an MVP season. Betts is hitting .304/.405/.488 with 10 longballs through 331 trips to the plate. He has walked 14.5% of the time against a 10% strikeout rate.
On top of the customarily elite offense, Betts has logged 531 1/3 innings at shortstop (plus 97 frames at second base). Public metrics are mixed on his shortstop glovework — Defensive Runs Saved has rated him four runs better than par, while Statcast has him three runs below average — but the fact that Betts was able take over the position on short notice at the end of spring is itself a huge boost.
Rojas is at least a steady replacement. He remains a high-end defender at age 35. Rojas has turned in good offensive results in a utility capacity this year, hitting .278/.328/.444 with a trio of homers in 42 games. He’s not likely to continue hitting at that level in an everyday role, as he ran a .246/.299/.348 line between 2021-23.
The 6-8 week timeline means Betts probably won’t be back before the July 30 trade deadline. Roberts and GM Brandon Gomes told reporters that L.A. is open to reinstalling Betts at shortstop once he’s healthy (Harris link). With an eight-game cushion in the NL West, the Dodgers probably don’t need to change their deadline approach to the shortstop position. Yet middle infield help looked like a potential target before Betts went down. The Dodgers haven’t gotten much out of second base, where Gavin Lux is hitting .212/.262/.280 across 202 plate appearances.
There probably won’t be many significant shortstops on the market. The White Sox will almost certainly trade Paul DeJong for a modest return, but he’s not a clear upgrade on Rojas. Miami’s Tim Anderson hasn’t hit for a second consecutive season. The top impending free agents, Willy Adames and Ha-Seong Kim, are on contenders and unlikely to move. Second base offers a couple more possibilities. The Angels could deal bat-first utility options Luis Rengifo and Brandon Drury, while the A’s would probably entertain offers on Abraham Toro.
Mookie Betts Suffers Fractured Bone In Left Hand After HBP
Mookie Betts was hit on the left hand by a Dan Altavilla fastball today, causing Betts to drop to the ground in immediate pain and then leave the field. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) after the game that Betts has a fractured bone in the hand and will be out of action “for some time,” though the former AL MVP won’t require surgery.
More will be known about Betts’ status and a potential recovery timeline in the coming days, but this is undoubtedly a huge blow for the Dodgers. As with any wrist- or hand-related injury, there is plenty of potential for lingering after-effects even after a player is officially cleared for action, given how any changes to grip or hand positioning on a bat can alter a swing. The first order of business for Betts and the Dodgers is just to manage this injury and the recovery as well as possible, though the concern won’t go away until Betts is both back on the field and displaying his usual superstar form at the plate.
Heading into today’s game, Betts was hitting .307/.407/.493 with 10 homers over a league-leading 327 plate appearances, adding 16 doubles and nine stolen bases (in 10 attempts) to those impressive numbers. In addition to that typically excellent offensive production, Betts has also been playing a key defensive role for the Dodgers as their everyday shortstop, a role Betts adopted during Spring Training after Gavin Lux was moved off the position. While defensive metrics have been mixed at best on Betts’ glovework, simply the fact that Betts was willing to change positions and at least passably handled the shortstop role just added to his importance to the L.A. roster.
The Dodgers were still expected to pursue middle infield help at the deadline, both because Lux hasn’t hit much, and to potentially hasten Betts’ move back to second base if a new everyday shortstop was obtained. Today’s developments probably make it even likelier that Los Angeles will look to add a shortstop regardless of how much time Betts misses, though it remains to be seen whether or not the Dodgers now look to make an acquisition sooner rather than later. The team will first want to access Betts’ health, of course, and teams with available infield depth might suddenly raise their asking prices if they perceive the Dodgers are in any way desperate.
In the short term, Roberts said that Miguel Vargas will be called back up from Triple-A to rejoin the infield mix. Miguel Rojas will get the bulk of regular shortstop duty, with Enrique Hernandez also factoring in at both shortstop and third base. Max Muncy is still sidelined with a lingering oblique injury and Roberts said today that Muncy’s recovery has been “even slower than expected,” so it is anyone’s guess as to when the third baseman might be able to help a suddenly-depleted Dodgers infield. Cavan Biggio was recently acquired from the Blue Jays to add to the depth mix, so Betts’ absence will open up more playing time for Biggio at second or third base.
Rojas has long been an excellent defender, and he has been surprisingly productive at the dish with a .278/.328/.444 slash line over 116 PA this season. His 122 wRC+ would be the second-best mark of his 11-year MLB career, though it is obviously a reach to expect Rojas to keep this up for a lengthy amount of time, given that he isn’t making much hard contact at the plate.
Even though the Dodgers lineup is full of big bats, losing Betts also underlines the club’s somewhat top-heavy nature. Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernandez have all been raking and Muncy was hitting well pre-injury, but Lux, Enrique Hernandez, and Chris Taylor have all been ice cold, while James Outman was struggling so much that Los Angeles optioned the outfielder to Triple-A.
With a 44-29 record, the Dodgers have arguably built up enough of a cushion to withstand losing Betts for a bit of time, as there doesn’t appear to be any danger that Los Angeles would suddenly fall out of the playoff race. However, it can’t be ignored that the Dodgers are now without Betts, Muncy, and more than an entire rotation’s worth of starting pitchers, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Michael Grove joining the long list of injured hurlers earlier today. The Dodgers have been able to both withstand and even thrive despite heavy injuries in past seasons, yet if this missing personnel is enough to drop the Dodgers out of a first-round postseason bye, it will give the team an even more difficult path to a World Series title.
NL West Notes: Sandoval, Black, Grichuk, Dodgers
When veteran infielder Pablo Sandoval signed a non-roster deal with the Giants last month, it was reported that the deal was not meant to be a ceremonial end to the 37-year-old’s storied career akin to the deal right-hander Sergio Romo took with the club before retiring last spring. Rather, Sandoval hoped that the deal could be a stepping stone toward returning to the majors. After the Kung Fu Panda slashed just .250/.323/.250 without a single extra-base hit in 16 games with the club this spring, it appears unlikely that will come to pass for the time being. That still doesn’t mean that Sandoval has any intention of retiring, however. As relayed by MLB.com’s Henry Schulman, Sandoval has indicated that he intends to keep playing even if he does not make the major league roster in San Francisco to open the season. Instead, he intends to report to Triple-A Sacramento and play for the Giants in the minor leagues.
A veteran of 14 big league seasons who last played in the majors back in 2021, Sandoval is a two-time All Star who earned World Series MVP honors with the Giants in 2012 while also playing a key role during the club’s championship seasons in 2010 and 2014. Sandoval initially departed San Francisco to sign in Boston prior to the 2015 season, but that disastrous contract saw him released partway through the 2017 campaign. He returned to the Giants afterward and enjoyed a pair of resurgent seasons with the club in 2018 and 2019 as he slashed .259/.311/.466 in a combined 200 games. His most recent big league appearances came with the Braves, with whom he hit .178/.302/.342 in 69 games in a bench role three seasons ago.
While Sandoval clearly intends to continue his professional career into his age-37 campaign, it’s unclear what the Giants’ plans are regarding their World Series hero at this point. Indeed, Sandoval noted to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area yesterday that he has not yet discussed his plan to continue playing in the minor leagues with Giants brass. Even so, Sandoval emphasized to Pavlovic that he has no intention of hanging up the cleats at this point. “Everyone thinks I’m retired,” Sandoval said (per Pavlovic). “I’m not retired.”
More from around the NL West:
- Sticking with the Giants, the club made a surprising move yesterday by re-assigning right-hander Mason Black to the minor leagues, as noted by MLB.com’s Maria I. Guardado. While the right-hander’s 6.97 ERA in 10 1/3 innings of work with the Giants this spring certainly presents a clear case for the 24-year-old starting the season in Triple-A, the move came just over a week after manager Bob Melvin indicated to reporters that the club was likely to turn to Black as a member of their Opening Day rotation. Of course, San Francisco’s rotation plans were altered the very next day by the addition of reigning NL Cy Young award winner Blake Snell, but it’s still something of a shock to see Black sent to Triple-A given the club’s need for innings in the bullpen due to injuries suffered by Tristan Beck and Sean Hjelle this spring. Instead, it appears the long relief role will be offered to non-roster veteran Daulton Jefferies, who impressed with a 2.57 ERA in 14 innings during camp.
- The Diamondbacks will begin the season without outfielder Randal Grichuk, who manager Torey Lovullo confirmed will begin the season on the injured list to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) earlier today. That’s hardly a surprise, as Grichuk did not make it into game action this spring while rehabbing from offseason surgery to remove bone spurs from his ankle. Upon signing with Arizona last month, Grichuk indicated that the issues wasn’t expected to cause a lengthy absence, adding that if he were to miss Opening Day due to the issue he may be ready to return as soon as a week into the regular season. The 32-year-old veteran slashed a roughly league average .267/.321/.459 in 118 trips to the plate in Colorado and Anaheim last year and is slated to act as a right-handed complement to the likes of Corbin Carroll, Alek Thomas, and Joc Pederson in Arizona’s outfield mix this year.
- While the Dodgers are set to turn to veteran superstar Mookie Betts and second baseman Gavin Lux up the middle this season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times) yesterday that veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas will get some starts at short as well, at least against left-handed pitching. On those days, Betts will slide over to second base and push Lux to the bench. While Robert emphasized that the situation won’t be a strict platoon, Lux’s career .586 OPS against same-handed pitching and Rojas’s strong defense at shortstop make sitting Lux against certain southpaws in order to improve the club’s infield defense a sensible strategy. Rojas, 35, hit a paltry .236/.290/.322 in 124 games with the Dodgers last year but slashed a much more respectable .286/.331/.406 in 145 trips to the plate against lefties.
MLBTR Podcast: Injured Pitchers, Brayan Bello’s Extension, Mookie At Shortstop And J.D. Davis
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- Injuries to pitchers such as Gerrit Cole of the Yankees and Lucas Giolito of the Red Sox and the potential ripple effects (1:45)
- Red Sox sign Brayan Bello to an extension (7:10)
- Dodgers moving Mookie Betts to shortstop (10:40)
- Giants release J.D. Davis (16:10)
- Noelvi Marté of the Reds suspended for PEDs (22:50)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Who had the worst offseason and why is it the Angels? (25:15)
- Fact or Fiction? The Red Sox are going to trade Masataka Yoshida. (28:50)
- Considering the amount of effort the Tigers front office has put into fielding a major league team in the past 10 years, should Tiger fans feel slighted? “They can wait” seems to be the attitude. Should Tiger fans just stop buying Little Caesars pizza and encourage their friends to buy their pizzas elsewhere? I am sure franchise owners enjoy being associated with a cheap loser. (31:20)
Check out our past episodes!
- The Giants Sign Matt Chapman, Zack Wheeler’s Extension, And Blake Snell And Jordan Montgomery Remain – listen here
- How Cody Bellinger’s Deal Affects The Other Free Agents And Why The Offseason Played Out Like This – listen here
- Finding Fits For The “Boras Four,” Which Teams Could Still Spend? And Rob Manfred In His Last Term – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Dodgers Moving Mookie Betts To Shortstop
The Dodgers are flipping their middle infield alignment. Mookie Betts is getting the start at shortstop while Gavin Lux will be at second base for this evening’s Cactus League matchup against the Reds. Manager Dave Roberts called the switch “permanent, for now” when chatting with reporters (link via Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic).
While that leaves open the possibility of returning to their previous arrangement at some point, Betts is going to open the season at the infield’s toughest position. The Dodgers entered camp planning to have the former MVP at second base with Lux at shortstop. The latter’s inconsistent throwing accuracy this spring changed the equation, as Roberts acknowledged last night.
There’s no question about Betts’ premium athleticism and overall defensive acumen. Still, this is a notable bet to place on a player with so little infield experience at the MLB level. Betts didn’t play the infield regularly as a major leaguer until last season. The Dodgers gave him 485 innings at second base and 98 frames at shortstop. Betts drew a strong +6 grade from Defensive Runs Saved at the keystone. Statcast, on the other hand, estimated he was one run below par. His sample as a shortstop is too small to draw significant conclusions, although he was charged with three errors there against only two errors at second base.
That Betts immediately played a solid second base after spending most of his 10-year MLB career in right field offers some optimism about his chances of handling the left side of the infield. Yet it’s clearly not what the Dodgers intended coming into camp. Betts had at least had ample second base experience during his time as a prospect in the Red Sox’s system, logging almost 2000 innings there before being pushed to the outfield thanks to the presence of Dustin Pedroia. His minor league shortstop experience consisted of 13 starts between rookie and short-season ball in 2011-12.
The left side infield defense becomes an important storyline for the Dodgers. Betts will be joined on most days by third baseman Max Muncy, a below-average defender who’s in the lineup for his bat. The Dodgers have a few shortstop-capable options off the bench. Miguel Rojas is a plus defender. Enrique Hernández and Chris Taylor can log shortstop action as part of their utility responsibilities. Rojas hasn’t produced much offensively over the past two seasons, though, while neither Hernández nor Taylor is a good fit for everyday shortstop work.
Lux will move back to second base. He has spent the majority of his MLB career there after moving off shortstop as a prospect. That was partially because the Dodgers had Corey Seager and Trea Turner, respectively, through the 2022 season. It was also a reflection of anxiety-related throwing issues that Lux battled when he was a prospect. Public defensive metrics have graded him as an above-average second baseman. His throwing has been less of an issue on the right side of the diamond. He has plus range for the position.
Keeping Lux in the starting lineup at all is a calculated move on the Dodgers’ part to maximize their offense. They could have bumped him to the bench or optioned him to Triple-A once they determined he wasn’t a viable shortstop. That would have allowed them to keep Betts at second and install Rojas back into the lineup. Doing so would have subtracted a promising bat. The lefty-swinging Lux had a solid .276/.346/.399 line over 471 plate appearances in 2022, making him a much better offensive contributor than Rojas is. He missed all of last season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during Spring Training.
Roberts indicated that Betts could occasionally slide back to second base on days when Lux is out of the lineup. That’d most frequently come against left-handed pitching and allow a right-handed hitter like Rojas, Hernández or Taylor to step in at shortstop. They could also time those substitutions to improve the infield defense when they’re starting a ground-ball pitcher like Bobby Miller. L.A. has a few key high-grounder relievers (e.g. Brusdar Graterol, Blake Treinen, Ryan Brasier) who’d also benefit from a better defensive alignment behind them late in games.
Roberts Noncommittal On Gavin Lux As Opening Day Shortstop
The Dodgers are faced with a surprising shortstop question midway through Spring Training. Expected starter Gavin Lux has been charged with a pair of errors in his first 10 1/3 innings of exhibition work. Lux has had a few more erratic moments, skipping a pair of throws to first base but being bailed out on scoops by Freddie Freeman.
His throwing accuracy is concerning enough it could impact his spot in the lineup at the start of the season. “I don’t know,” manager Dave Roberts replied when asked if Lux would be the Opening Day shortstop (link via Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times). “Obviously, performance is paramount at this level for a team vying to win a championship. So I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I do know that it will be in the vein of whatever gives us the best chance to win.”
Throughout the offseason, the L.A. front office maintained that Lux was going to be the regular shortstop. They reportedly considered trade possibilities, particularly Milwaukee’s Willy Adames, but clearly had Lux atop the internal options. That might still be the case, but Roberts’ comments add some urgency for him to sort out his throwing.
This isn’t the first time that he has struggled with seemingly straightforward throws. He battled his accuracy at times in the minors, which he conceded was tied to anxiety. That’s part of the reason the Dodgers moved the one-time top prospect to second base early in his career, although Corey Seager and Trea Turner had blocked his path to shortstop anyhow. Los Angeles was prepared to move Lux back to shortstop last year. A Spring Training ACL tear instead ended his season before it began.
Playing on the right side of the infield suited him well. He was charged with five throwing errors over 819 2/3 second base innings in 2022. That’s a higher than average rate but certainly not untenable. Public defensive metrics have graded him as an above-average second baseman overall thanks to his plus range.
Mookie Betts is moving to the keystone this year. That would bump Lux to shortstop but obviously places extra stress on his arm. Signing Shohei Ohtani means the Dodgers will need Max Muncy to play regularly at third base. Muncy is a below-average defender, putting a little more pressure on the L.A. shortstop to compensate.
That’s part of the reason that Adames, one of the game’s top defensive infielders, was an appealing target. Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic wrote this evening that the Dodgers have continued interest in Adames, but Milwaukee remains reluctant to part with him. The Brewers have Joey Ortiz on hand as a potential shortstop replacement, but they could need to rely on Ortiz at either second or third base throughout the season. Adames is also a strong presence in the Milwaukee clubhouse and a solid offensive contributor as an annual threat for 25-30 homers.
A preseason Adames trade seems unlikely with roughly two weeks until Opening Day. He’d surely come up in deadline talks if Milwaukee falls out of contention, but they’ll make a push to defend their title in a wide-open NL Central.
It’d probably take that kind of significant upgrade for the Dodgers to look outside the organization. They have options to solidify the defense if they’re not sold on Lux handling the position at the moment. Miguel Rojas remains a plus defender. He owns a .236/.286/.322 batting line over the past two seasons, so the Dodgers would prefer to keep him in a depth role, but there’s no question Rojas could more than capably handle the position. He’d be a significant offensive downgrade from Lux, who hit .276/.346/.399 in 2022.
Enrique Hernández and Chris Taylor are utility players who could cover shortstop at times. Betts even started 12 games there a year ago. There’s no indication the Dodgers are considering playing Betts at shortstop full time, but that’s a theoretical possibility that would allow them to keep Lux at second base.
Of course, the ideal outcome is that Lux settles in as he continues to build his defensive workload. It’s fair to expect some amount of rust in all facets for a player coming back from a year-long injury absence. His minor league issues make the recent throws more alarming, but it’s possible he’ll get increasingly comfortable with more reps. The Dodgers start the season early with a two-game set against the Padres in South Korea on March 20-21.
Roberts: Betts Expected To Be Dodgers’ Primary Second Baseman
Mookie Betts‘ unique blend of defensive versatility and elite offensive production led to a runner-up finish in 2023 NL MVP voting, as the six-time Gold Glove-winning right fielder saw considerable time at both second base and shortstop, in addition to his customary right field. Betts might have more of a set position in 2024, but it won’t be right field, according to manager Dave Roberts.
“I think it’s pretty safe to say that No. 50, Mookie Betts, is going to be our everyday second baseman,” Roberts told MLB Network’s Alanna Rizzo in an appearance on High Heat today (video link). “It’s one of those things where he’s a Gold Glover out in right field, but I think when you’re talking about putting together a roster and someone who can be so offensive at second base — you can get more games out of him if he’s playing second base. And obviously with the signing of Jason Heyward, to put him out in right field, to go out there and play versus right-handed pitching and to play a Gold Glove right field, it just makes our club better.”
While Roberts didn’t expressly rule out the possibility of Betts playing any outfield — he notably specified that Heyward would again play primarily against right-handed pitching — it seems the immediate plan is for Betts to line up at second base and form a double play tandem with Gavin Lux (or a potential outside acquisition). Defensive Runs Saved (6) and Ultimate Zone Rating (1) both pegged Betts as an above-average defender at second base, while Statcast’s Outs Above Average put him only slightly below, at -1. Betts played plenty of middle infield during his early minor league tenure in the Red Sox’ system and largely moved to the outfield due to the presence of Dustin Pedroia on the big league roster.
A full-time return to the infield for Betts gives the Dodgers a primary outfield of Chris Taylor, James Outman and Heyward (left to right), with Betts, Jonny Deluca and top prospect Andy Pages all potentially joining the mix. Additional outfield depth could yet be brought in, of course. In the infield, they’ll likely lean on Max Muncy at third base, Lux at short, Betts at second and fellow MVP candidate Freddie Freeman at first base.
Injuries could ultimately push Betts back to the outfield with more regularity, but in a followup appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (video link), Roberts spoke about Betts personally being on board with the move to second base, as it’ll allow him to remain in the lineup more as he ages: “I think when he runs out to right field every day, and as he starts to get a little bit older, he’s starting to look and see that we’ve got to play him less when he plays right field. And so when he played second base a lot last year, he was able to be in the lineup [more].”
Roberts added that it’s easier for the team’s front office to “find someone” who can pair with Heyward as a right-handed option in right field than to find a second baseman, making the move better from a roster construction standpoint. Based on the full context of Roberts’ comments, it doesn’t seem as though the move to second base is presently viewed as a one-off for the 2024 season, although Betts’ superb athleticism and subsequent versatility will allow the club to keep a return to right field on the table as a possibility down the road, should it make sense from a roster construction standpoint in future offseasons.
Ronald Acuña Jr. Wins NL MVP
For the first time in his career, Ronald Acuña Jr. is an MVP. The Baseball Writers Association of America announced this evening that Acuña was unanimously selected as the National League’s top player. Dodger teammates Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman finished second and third, respectively.
Acuña has been a star for years. The sport’s #1 prospect before he reached the majors in 2018, he won Rookie of the Year and finished 12th in MVP voting during his debut campaign. He got onto MVP ballots in each of the next two seasons and has been named to the All-Star Game in every season since his rookie year (excluding the 2020 campaign in which there was no Midsummer Classic).
In 2023, he firmly cemented himself as one of the top three to five players in the game. Acuña turned in an unbelievable .337/.416/.596 batting line over an NL-high 735 trips to the dish. He led the majors in hits and runs scored from the top of a loaded Atlanta lineup and paced the Senior Circuit in OPS. The Venezuela native tied his career high with 41 home runs and stole a major league leading 73 bases.
That power-speed impact was unparalleled in baseball history. Acuña became the first player ever to go 40-70. One could quibble with his NL-leading 14 times caught stealing or middling defensive grades in right field, but the sheer offensive dominance and unprecedented nature of Acuña’s stat line made him the clear choice in the eyes of voters.
While this was his career season to date, Acuña could be a perennial MVP candidate He won’t turn 26 until December and is squarely in the midst of his prime. Only adding to the appeal for the Braves is that they have their superstar outfielder on perhaps the game’s most team-friendly contract. Acuña is signed for a total of $61MM over the next three years, while the team has options that could (and very likely will) keep him in Atlanta through 2028.
Acuña winning the award was expected. That he received all 30 first-place votes is a bit more surprising. Betts ranked second on every ballot, hammering home how clearly that duo had separated themselves from the pack. The Dodger star hit .307/.408/.579 over 693 plate appearances. He played solid defense in right field and handled the middle infield with aplomb, logging action at second base and shortstop.
Freeman and Matt Olson were third and fourth on every ballot, with Freeman picking up four more third-place nods to secure the #3 spot overall. Corbin Carroll, Juan Soto, Austin Riley, Luis Arraez, Cody Bellinger, William Contreras and Blake Snell all received at least one fifth-place vote. Others receiving votes: Francisco Lindor, Bryce Harper, Fernando Tatis Jr., Ha-Seong Kim, Ozzie Albies, Logan Webb, Pete Alonso, Marcell Ozuna, Devin Williams, Dansby Swanson, Kyle Schwarber, Zac Gallen, Christian Walker, TJ Friedl and Nick Castellanos.
As noted by Sarah Langs of MLB.com (on X), this is the first time in MLB history in which both MVP selections were unanimous. Shohei Ohtani took all 30 first-place nods in the American League. Full voting results are available courtesy of the BBWAA.
Image from USA Today Sports.