LOS ANGELES — Nothing like getting thrown into the spotlight while trying to blend in with the crowd.
One day after he was given a surprise day off amid ongoing struggles, Mookie Betts returned Sunday. And instead of a spot lower in the order, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts moved Betts up a notch to the leadoff spot.
It was an unconventional move for sure, with Roberts saying it was rooted more in familiarity. Betts entered Sunday with 4,996 plate appearances in the leadoff spot in his career. He had 1,627 plate appearances in all other spots combined.
“Looking at how things are going, where Mookie is at emotionally, mechanics-wise, all in totality, I felt that giving him a different look in the lineup, hitting him at the top,” Roberts said. “It’s something he’s obviously been accustomed to throughout his career (and) will put him in a mindset of just to get on base. Just trying to take good at-bats, set the table for Shohei (Ohtani) and the guys behind him.”
Ohtani was moved back into the No. 2 spot, at least for the day, which is how the lineup was constructed before Betts broke his hand in June of last season. Roberts said that Betts will bat leadoff against left-handed pitchers and Ohtani will be at the top against right-handers, at least until Max Muncy returns from the bruised bone in his knee.
The conversation between Betts and Roberts about Sunday’s move was brief.
“There wasn’t much talking (about) it,” Betts said. “I just said whatever is best for the team.”
Ultimately what is best is that Betts emerges from a season-long downturn that has led to a .241 batting average, .311 on-base percentage, 11 home runs and 45 RBIs heading into Sunday’s game. He is on pace for 18 home runs, which would be his lowest since his first full season in 2015 with the Boston Red Sox. He has never batted under .264 in a major league season.
“The cues and feels that I’ve used my whole life, in Boston and L.A., just don’t work anymore,” Betts said. “So I’m just trying to find out who I am now, what works now. It’s hard, but I got to figure it out at some point.”
Roberts cautioned against thinking that at age 32, this is the new normal for Betts.
“It’s certainly not an age thing,” Roberts said. “I know he’s still in his prime. I know he’s as strong as he’s been in quite some time. It’s certainly a mechanic thing, some of it, where his body has changed and will continue to change. He just doesn’t feel right and synced up.
“There’s a lot of moving parts to his swing, there always has been. So to kind of get those things all synced up is not always easy. But that’s why we’ve got to keep working through it. If there’s one person I know is going to work, it’s Mookie.”
With the season still in July, and with two full months still ahead before the playoffs, Betts believes some of his numbers could normalize.
“That’s the ideal mindset,” Betts said. “I’m not saying that’s mine right now. Just figuring out who I am, what I need to do. Maybe it does show up and the numbers get back to kind of what the track record says, but I’m trying to figure out how to do it.”
TWO OF A KIND
One added benefit to having Ohtani in the No. 2 spot of the order is that it will give him a bit of a breather on days he pitches in home games between recording the last out of the first inning and coming to the plate for his first at-bat.
That process has been a bit of a rush as Ohtani has come off the mound, put on ankle, elbow and hand guards then come to the batter’s box.
That scenario won’t come into play when Ohtani takes the mound Monday. He is expected to bat leadoff against Minnesota Twins right-hander David Festa.
As for the move one spot down in the order, Ohtani was all for it.
“Shohei will do anything that we ask and he is all about the team,” Roberts said. “If it potentially could get Mookie going, which would then get our team going, he’s all about it.”
MAD MAX RECOVERY
Muncy is about two weeks from returning from his knee injury with a session against live pitching ahead before a minor league rehab assignment as early as next weekend.
Muncy was doing light running and taking infield drills Sunday.
“It’s coming,” Roberts said. “It’s coming a lot quicker than we had hoped or we expected.”
ONE MORE OPTION
With left-hander Blake Snell close to a return to the major league rotation, right-hander Roki Sasaki could be right behind him. Sasaki had a bullpen session Sunday and reached as high as 93 mph with his fastball as he recovers from a right shoulder impingement.
“He looks good,” Roberts said. “He used his entire pitch mix. So I’m sure that the pitching guys are going to circle up and figure out what’s the next step, but today was a big step again for Roki.”
There is an outside chance that Sasaki is the one who pitches to Muncy in a live batting practice session in the upcoming week, but Roberts said it was probably a long shot the recovery timetable lines up for both players.
UP NEXT
Twins (RHP (David Festa, 3-3, 5.25 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Shohei Ohtani 0-0, 1.00 ERA ERA), Monday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM