No word on whether Seager will be starter
Not too long ago, Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager was playing in the biggest games of his life. His team was rolling through the playoffs, on the verge of playing for the championship.
Seager performed well under the pressure and stress. So the Dodgers have that going for them.
“But,” Seager said, “it’s a little different stage.” He was in high school. On a team full of veterans, one of the Dodgers’ most important players has been in the big leagues for all of one month. The Dodgers have not selected a starter at shortstop, but Manager Don Mattingly and General Manager Farhan Zaidi hinted Monday that the job could be Seager’s.
In 27 games, Seager batted .337 with four home runs and 17 runs batted in. One National League scout called Seager, 21, the Dodgers’ best hitter.
He is also the least experienced. Until early September, it was unclear whether Seager would play in the major leagues at all this season. Then, as Seager collected hits in eight of his first 10 games, the question was whether he would be on the postseason roster. After he started five of the team’s last seven games, he raised the possibility of starting in the postseason.
Seager said he has encountered a learning curve. “You just try to hide it,” he said. His ascent was so rapid that he hasn’t found a permanent place to live. He is staying in a hotel.
Mattingly said of Seager that “the questions are valid about experience,” but he did not sound concerned.
“You don’t know how it’s going to play out,” Mattingly said. “Does it help them? Does it not help them? Does the young guy handle it well? Does he not handle it well? Some of those you just try to make the best
decision, and then we find out.”
Ellis is catching on
Among the decisions Mattingly must make before he sets his roster and fills out the lineup, one of the more difficult will be at catcher, where Yasmani Grandal, the regular for most of the season, has been dealing with an injured shoulder since early August.
Grandal seems to think the decision is clear.
“I think he has a little more confidence in [A.J. Ellis],” Grandal said in Spanish. “If it was me, I’d play Ellis.”
In his final 28 games, Grandal had four hits in 82 at-bats. Ellis has hit .254 with three home runs since Sept. 1.
Mattingly said Grandal could be less than 100%.
“Obviously, A.J.’s been swinging the bat good down the stretch,” Mattingly said. “We feel comfortable with either guy.”
Center of attention
Mattingly has settled on a center fielder, he’s just not revealing whether it is Enrique Hernandez or Joc Pederson.
“I don’t feel that stressed over center,” Mattingly said. “I just feel good about where we’re going to go.”
Mattingly said he wasn’t overly worried with matching a left-handed hitter against New York Mets starter Jacob deGrom in Game 1. Pederson, who bats from the left side, has struggled during the second half of the season.
Season is over
The Dodgers sent right-hander Jim Johnson home for the postseason.
Johnson, acquired just before the trade deadline in a three-team, 13player swap, had 101 saves for the Baltimore Orioles in 2012-13 but was 0-3 with one save and an earned-run average of 10.13 for the Dodgers.