Roberts: Betts to bat 2nd in next week’s return

LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts is expected to make his return from a fractured left hand at the start of next week, for a road series against the Milwaukee Brewers. When he does, he will remain at shortstop — at least initially — but will move to the No. 2 spot of the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ lineup.

Dropping Betts a spot allows the Dodgers to break up their two big left-handed hitters, with Shohei Ohtani batting leadoff and Freddie Freeman hitting third. Betts initially batted mostly second when he joined the Dodgers in 2020, but he took off when he was moved to leadoff — his primary spot with the Boston Red Sox — after 19 games. It has long been his preferred destination.

The Dodgers, though, believe they’ll have a better chance against the dynamic left-handed relievers they’ll see in October if Ohtani and Freeman don’t hit back-to-back. There is a version of the order in which Will Smith instead breaks them up from the No. 3 spot, allowing Betts to remain their leadoff hitter. But Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he didn’t want Freeman moving down to fourth, and thus further lessening the chances of an additional plate appearance, in that situation.

Ohtani’s .307/.423/.699 slash line in 40 games since replacing Betts at leadoff was also a factor.

“As great as Mookie is,” Roberts said, “Shohei really has a chance to change the game from the first pitch on.”

Betts was slashing .304/.405/.488 with 10 home runs and nine stolen bases in 72 games before an ill-fated hit by pitch on June 16 prompted what will ultimately be an eight-week absence. As he neared his return, the Dodgers remained uncertain about whether Betts would come back as a shortstop (the position he learned on the fly during spring training), second baseman (the position he thought he was going to play full-time this season) or right fielder (the position where he won six Gold Gloves).

Gavin Lux‘s recent surge, which has seen him raise his OPS by 106 points since the All-Star break, has basically eliminated second base as a possibility. But there is a segment of the Dodgers who believe the team is better served with having Betts return to right field, injecting more offense to a part of the roster where the team has struggled to find consistent production — outside of Teoscar Hernandez — and putting Gold Glove-caliber defenders at shortstop in either Miguel Rojas or Nick Ahmed.

Betts has continually said he does not care where he plays, but he spent hours pregame taking ground balls at shortstop on Tuesday afternoon. Down the road — perhaps after Max Muncy returns to third base, lessening the need for Rojas to play multiple infield positions — the Dodgers might broach the subject of playing right field with Betts.

But that time has not yet arrived.