Feeling good about move back to outfield, Betts homers for Dodgers in return from injured list

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Mookie Betts welcomes a return to right field even though he believes he has shown he also can do a fine job at shortstop.

The eight-time All-Star came off the injured list Monday at Milwaukee, playing right field and batting second for the Los Angeles Dodgers after missing nearly two months with a broken left hand. The former leadoff hitter felt right at home in the No. 2 spot, belting a two-run homer to left field off Freddy Peralta with two outs in the third inning.

Betts primarily had been playing shortstop this season — a new position for him.

“It’s not like I’ve been years away from it,” Betts said about moving back to right field. “It hasn’t even been a year. I’ve still got it in me.”

Betts, who turns 32 on Oct. 7, said he would be wearing a hand guard to protect himself. He got hurt when he was hit by a 98 mph fastball from Kansas City Royals reliever Dan Altavilla on June 16.

Monday night’s game against the Brewers marked Betts’ 917th career start in right field. He’s made 98 at second base and 73 at shortstop. All his starts at shortstop and the majority of his starts at second base came over the last two seasons.

“I do believe that I can be a good shortstop, but I know there’s a couple of guys in our clubhouse who are very, very good at it — Gold Glove winners,” Betts said. “They need to take care of that. I feel like what’s best for me and the team is to go out and play right.”

Miguel Rojas, who came off the injured list last week, hasn’t won a Gold Glove but was a finalist for the award in 2020 and 2022 while playing shortstop for the Miami Marlins. The Dodgers also have Nick Ahmed, a Gold Glove shortstop with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018 and 2019.

At the July 30 trade deadline, the Dodgers acquired utilityman Tommy Edman, who was a Gold Glove second baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. Edman, who also has experience at shortstop, hasn’t played yet this season while recovering from wrist surgery but just began a rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Los Angeles utilityman Kiké Hernández gives the NL West leaders another shortstop option.

The Dodgers feel comfortable enough with their situation at shortstop that Amed Rosario was designated for assignment to make room for Betts. The club acquired Rosario from Tampa Bay for minor league pitcher Michael Flynn just two weeks ago.

Although he credited Betts’ performance at shortstop this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also said putting the 2018 AL MVP in right field was the right move given the options the team has now at shortstop and second base, where Gavin Lux has solidified himself.

“Mookie did a fine job at short,” Roberts said. “Getting to the balls, making the plays, I thought he did a really good job of. It was just trying to really get a handle on the different throws, the angles.”

With their current roster, Roberts said the Dodgers are best off with Betts in right field “given the way Gavin’s playing at second base and the way Miggy Ro’s played at short and offensively.”

Betts said moving back to the position where he’s most comfortable also will free his mind as he returns from the injury. He won’t have to think quite as much as he did earlier this season when he was trying to learn a new position.

“I said the same thing my first year playing right field,” Betts said. “I wasn’t comfortable. I had to go through the bumps and bruises. There I went through 10 years of bumps and bruises, so I understand how to go about it. Shortstop, I went through two months of that. If you want to win a World Series, you need to be well-versed in every position out there. I understand that. All I really care about is winning.”

Jason Heyward had been getting much of the playing time in right field for the Dodgers this season. The 35-year-old Heyward is hitting .204 with a .288 on-base percentage, five homers and 24 RBIs in 59 games.

Betts also is moving down a spot in the lineup, which enables two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani to remain in the leadoff spot. Heading into Monday’s game, Ohtani had batted .280 with 34 runs, 16 homers, three triples and 37 RBIs in the two months since Betts’ injury.

Roberts said he wanted to have the right-handed-hitting Betts batting between the left-handed-hitting Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.