Three days ago, Dave Roberts, the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers announced Mookie Betts’ return to the lineup after he was sidelined from a broken left hand injury. It was revealed that Betts would be playing at shortstop and batting second upon his comeback.
Shohei Ohtani will remain in the leadoff position, where he has been performing well with a .290 batting average, 15 home runs, 33 runs, and 35 RBIs since Betts got injured on June 16.
Despite Betts occupying the leadoff spot after joining the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox in 2020 and expressing his preference for the position, the team’s decision now aims to leverage Ohtani’s success at the top of the lineup.
Betts has now responded to this shift graciously by acknowledging Ohtani’s performance and showing his support for the team’s decision.
“I mean I can’t say I’m better than Shohei. There’s nothing really you can say. Whatever Shohei says goes and after that we of fall, in line.”
Mookie Betts kept it real when asked how feels about the Dodgers keeping Shohei Ohtani at the leadoff spot amid his return to the lineup. pic.twitter.com/DDZXNQOHYL
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) August 9, 2024
As Betts is gearing up to return, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made yet another strategic adjustment to maximize the impact of both Betts and Ohtani.
Betts shifts to right field for MLB comeback
On August 9, LA Dodgers manager, Roberts announced that Mookie Betts will be moving from shortstop back to his previous position in the right field. He explained that Betts feels comfortable playing in right field, which seems to be the reason behind the team’s decision, saying:
“It’s something that … we all feel that’s what’s best for our ballclub now, going forward.”
Dave Roberts said Mookie Betts will exclusively play right field when he returns. Here’s why: pic.twitter.com/ffzqzysq4F
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) August 9, 2024
The 2016 NL Manager of the Year did mention how positions can change shortly after Mookie acclimatizes back out there to the right field. As Betts makes the transition to the newly announced position, there is also a focus on how he will fit into the batting order.
With this change, Betts will be batting alongside Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman at the top of the lineup. The Dodgers are also hoping that this strategy will improve the LA Dodgers’ offensive strategy in the rest of the season.
