Dave Roberts doesn’t usually go hunting for fixes just to make a change. But Mookie Betts moving to the No. 5 spot has already given the Dodgers something to think about.
Betts has looked right at home there. Since the switch earlier this week, he’s piled up four hits and two home runs against the Philadelphia Phillies, and per Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya, he’ll stay in the five hole moving forward.
That opens the door to a bigger question: if Roberts is willing to shuffle Betts, what else should he consider with a lineup that still has plenty of room to get even sharper?
The Dodgers’ current look against right-handed pitching has Shohei Ohtani at the top, followed by Andy Pages, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Betts, Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez, Dalton Rushing and Tommy Edman. On paper, it’s a dangerous group. In practice, there are still spots Roberts could tighten up.
Tommy Edman is the obvious candidate to move up. He’s been excellent in his 27 games this season, and his numbers suggest he can handle a bigger role in the order.
He has an elite 1.048 OPS against left-handed pitching, and a .875 OPS against lefties. If Roberts wants to avoid handing out soft spots in the lineup, Edman has earned a better look.
Kyle Tucker is another name that stands out. The Dodgers committed to him with a four-year, $240 million contract this past winter, but he hasn’t been the same hitter for quite some time. Sliding him down a couple of spots would not only reflect that reality, it could also clear a path for Edman to do more damage.
Pages may also be worth a look lower in the order. He’s been in the No. 2 spot, but he hit .225 in June and .255 in July so far. Freeman, with his track record and production, could be a steadier option in that spot and give the top of the lineup a different feel.
Then there’s Dalton Rushing, whose July slide has already become impossible to ignore. He hasn’t had a hit in 15 days, going 0-for-19, and giving him more protection around him might help as he keeps working through it.
Still, the bigger picture is that the Dodgers are in a pretty enviable spot. Their lineup remains loaded, and Roberts does a strong job blending left-handed power with right-handed bats who put the ball in play. There aren’t many easy outs when everyone is healthy.
Betts’ July surge only adds to that. He’s posted an .818 OPS this month, and Roberts said just a few weeks ago, after Betts returned, that he was beginning to look like the hitter Dodgers fans have been used to seeing in recent seasons.
That’s the real luxury here. The Dodgers don’t just have talent - they have choices. And when a lineup already this deep starts to click, Roberts has plenty of ways to keep it moving.
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