Dodgers could soon turn to a new shortstop: Mookie Betts
LOS ANGELES ❯❯ Identifying the Dodgers' fourth-string shortstop was a painful process of elimination.
Gavin Lux lasted all of two spring training games before suffering a seasonending knee injury. Miguel Rojas suffered minor injuries to his groin and hamstring in the last week, then started five of the six games since. The next man up would have been Chris Taylor, but he suffered an oblique injury making a throw from left field on Monday night.
Wednesday afternoon, the fourth-stringer could finally be revealed: Mookie Betts.
Betts was not in the lineup Tuesday. He was placed on paternity leave with his wife, Brianna, expected to give birth to the couple's second child. Rookie center fielder James Outman batted leadoff, the first person other than Betts to occupy the top spot in the Dodgers' batting order in 2023.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expected Betts to return in time to play against the New York Mets today, a noon game at Dodger Stadium. If Betts starts at shortstop, it will mark his return to a position he hasn't played since 2013 — just his third season of minor league baseball in the Boston Red Sox organization.
“He looks extremely natural,” Roberts said of Betts. “The guy can play anywhere on a baseball field. I think there were some reservations about him playing second base last year and he quickly put those to bed.”
Betts began his tenure in the Boston system playing both second base and shortstop. He still takes ground balls at both positions regularly, mitigating some of the Dodgers' concerns.
What makes the transition unusual is that Betts has won six Gold Glove Awards in eight full major league seasons as a right fielder. Jason Heyward started in right field on Tuesday. He's won five Gold Gloves in right field himself. He also dropped a routine fly ball to begin Tuesday's game, resulting in a three-base error.
If Betts sees any time at shortstop, it will be limited. For his part, Taylor said he doesn't expect to go on the injured list, describing his injury as “mild.”
“Some things kind of happen that you have to kind of get through,” Roberts said. “Hopefully (Taylor's) thing is minimal and we don't have to have that conversation.”
Williams gets the call to L.A.'s active roster
Luke Williams had his contract purchased from Triple-A to take Betts' place on the active roster.
Williams hit .152 in his first spring training with the Dodgers, who claimed him off waivers from the Miami Marlins last November. He then flourished in 14 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City, batting .375 with a .455 on-base percentage and .696 slugging percentage.
The former Dana Hills High star appeared in 137 games over the past two seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants and Marlins, getting only 244 plate appearances in the majors.