With injuries piling up, the Los Angeles Dodgers could soon be turning to a new starting shortstop: Mookie Betts. Betts, a six-time Gold Glove right fielder, hasn’t played shortstop since the lower tiers of minors in 2013, but he could start short if he returns from the paternity list, manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday.
“There’s a chance I’ll push him shortstop. He looks extremely natural. The guy can play anywhere on a baseball field,” Roberts told MLB.com. “…I think there were some reservations about him playing at second base last year and he put those to bed quickly. So it will be the same.”
Mookie Betts
LAD • RF • #50
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The Dodgers may have to turn to Betts at shortstop as they were decimated by injuries at the position. This is their shortstop depth chart at the moment:
Williams replaced Rojas on short Tuesday night and will start Wednesday’s game in that position. With Rojas sidelined, Williams could be the starter at shortstop until Taylor can play or until the Dodgers short Betts.
Betts, 30, was drafted as a shortstop in 2011, although the Boston Red Sox moved him to second base in 2013 and to outfield in 2014, in part because they were seeded with Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia as doubles tackles. Mookie has played 35 big league games at second base, including five this year, but he has never played shortstop at the MLB level.
“I think if you’re going to talk about the third string at any position, there are some things that have to happen that you just have to get through. But to have Mookie as your third string on anything, I think teams can do a lot worse,” Roberts told MLB.com. “…He’s been screaming for a while, so we’ll see how it plays out.”
Betts missed Tuesday’s game and will miss Wednesday’s game while on the paternity list, which has a maximum stay of three days. He will return no later than Friday.
The Dodgers are 9-9 with a plus 21 run differential earlier this season. They are two games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.