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4h ago

Dodgers Stick With Betts at Shortstop as Roberts Presses Hernández on Right-Field Defense

Los Angeles is weighing a net-sum choice on offense versus run prevention after a walk-off loss, and team officials say a Betts postgame meeting was a routine swing check-in.

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DENVER, CO - AUGUST 18: Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws to first for an out in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on August 18, 2025 in Denver, Colorado.
Moving Mookie Betts from shortstop back to right field is a move a lot of Dodgers fans wants to see the team make to improve the outfield defense, but Manager Dave Roberts says it is not something they are planning to do right now. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Feb 18, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Mookie Betts (50) talks with manager Dave Roberts (30) during spring training at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Overview

  • After two costly plays in a walk-off loss at Colorado, the Dodgers kept Mookie Betts at shortstop and Teoscar Hernández in right the next day, with Dave Roberts saying he’s “not there yet” on a switch.
  • Roberts publicly said Hernández “has got to get better” in the outfield despite negative defensive metrics this season, but he emphasized the veteran’s lineup value as one of the club’s leaders in home runs and RBIs.
  • A postgame conversation involving Betts, Roberts and Andrew Friedman was characterized by the manager as a regular check on Betts’ swing rather than a discussion about moving positions.
  • In Tuesday’s 11-4 win over the Rockies, Hernández collected hits and made two running catches, offering short-term relief without resolving longer-term defensive concerns.
  • Management continues to evaluate a net-sum shuffle that could return Betts to right and deploy Miguel Rojas or Alex Freeland at short, with flexibility constrained as Tommy Edman, Kiké Hernández and Hyeseong Kim remain on the injured list and Kim begins a rehab assignment.