Los Angeles Dodgers Abruptly Change Course With Mookie Betts’ Return, Here’s Why

One of the biggest pieces of Los Angeles Dodgers news during spring training was that All-Star Mookie Betts would play a significant number of games at shortstop for the upcoming season. Now, with Betts poised to return from the injured list, it appears Los Angeles is making a change.

Betts went down in June after suffering a broken left hand. At the time, the 31-year-old had appeared in 72 games, with 65 appearances at shortstop and 16 at second base. For the most part, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wanted to keep his most versatile fielder at one of the most important positions in the sport.

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• Mookie Betts stats ( ESPN ): .304/.405/.488, .892 OPS, 10 home runs, 40 RBI, 9 stolen bases in 72 games this season

With Betts on the verge of returning from the injured list, that seemed to be the plan. Roberts told reports on August 6 that Betts would likely be listed at shortstop in the Dodgers lineup when the perennial MVP candidate returns. Days later, the plan changed.

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Addressing reporters during a Dodgers press conference on August 9, Roberts announced that Betts will exclusively play right field moving forward this season.

Why the Los Angeles Dodgers are moving Mookie Betts to right field

Mookie Betts is certainly no stranger to right field. He held down that position for the Boston Red Sox from 2016-’19, winning four consecutive Gold Glove Awards and three straight Fielding Bible Awards for his defensive mastery in right field.

• Mookie Betts contract ( Spotrac ): $30 million salary (2024-’27), 435 million salary (2028-’30), $32.5 million salary (2031-’32)

Betts last played 100-plus games in right field last season with the Dodgers and he’s been out there for over 1,800 innings from 2022-’23. The numbers speak for themselves. In 2022, he ranked in the 86th percentile for Outs Above Average and was in the 80th percentile for Fielding Run Value ( Baseball Savant ).

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“The conversation was under the constructs of each player, wherever they’re playing defensively, they’ve got to feel most confident and after them, obviously layer in what’s best for the ball club. Where we’re at, he is most confident right now in right field versus at shortstop. So you look at how Gavin (Lux)’s playing and he’s earned the right to continue to play second base for us. You have essentially two Gold Glovers at shortstop (Miguel Rojas and Nick Ahmed), and so kind of weighing everything in, the teammate, the comfort, the performance, now moving forward that’s where we came to.”

Dave Roberts on the decision to move Mookie Betts to right field

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Shortstop is Betts’ worst defensive position and taking him away from it will make the Dodgers significantly better defensively. Los Angeles not only has Miguel Rojas and Nick Ahmed at shortstop, but Tommy Edman is also closing in on making his Dodgers debut.

That gives Roberts three Gold Glove Award-winning options to play at shortstop, providing him with all the reason he needs to move Betts back to his natural position.

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