Following the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Monday during which proper fielder Teoscar Hernandez was unable to make two key defensive performs, Mookie Betts had a gathering with supervisor Dave Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, per the Los Angeles Occasions.
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Whereas the content material of the assembly is at the moment unknown, it comes at an attention-grabbing time amid Hernandez’s struggles within the outfield.
Betts transitioned to being the group’s full-time shortstop final yr amid Gavin Lux’s struggles, however went again to proper discipline after breaking his hand.
This yr, after a full offseason of labor, Betts once more entered the season because the full-time shortstop. Whereas he received off to a robust begin defensively, his offense trailed behind.
Lastly, Betts seems to be breaking out of his season-long stoop, and his defensive metrics stay above common. Conversely, Hernandez grades out as one of many worst proper fielders in MLB with an Outs Above Common of minus-9, rating him within the 1st percentile.
The Dodgers have remained adamant that Betts can be the group’s shortstop all season. Nonetheless, like final yr, it might behoove them to maneuver issues round to have higher defensive alignment.
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On Monday night time, Hernandez was unable to catch two balls that dropped in entrance of him — the second of which arrange the walk-off single within the backside of the ninth inning.
“He’s received to get higher on the market,” Roberts mentioned of Hernandez after the sport. “There’s simply no technique to put it. I do know there’s effort — it’s not a scarcity of effort. However the factor is, we’ve simply received to get higher. We do. I don’t know what else to say.”
Hernandez defended his play within the ninth.
“We had been taking part in ‘no-doubles’. It’s an enormous outfield. I used to be taking part in fairly far (again),” Hernandez mentioned. “I attempted to make the play. I didn’t. It got here off my glove. Sadly. Issues occur.”
It stays to be seen if the Dodgers make any drastic adjustments. However for now, the content material of Monday’s assembly looms over the group.
Photograph Credit score: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports activities
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