LOS ANGELES — For the first time since 2015, Mookie Betts wasn’t chosen for this week’s All-Star Game.
That four-day break spent with family in Nashville wasn’t enough to turn around the worst offensive season of his career in the estimation of Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. After watching Betts go 0 for 4 with two strikeouts, two weak groundouts and multiple swings at pitches out of the strike zone, Roberts decided Betts needed more downtime. He benched Betts, leaving him out of the lineup Saturday.
Roberts said Betts will probably be back in the lineup Sunday but he wouldn’t guarantee it, saying it’s going to be “a day-to-day thing” based on “how I feel he is mentally to take on that night’s starter.”
Betts’ offensive statistics are the worst of his career across the board – a .241 batting average, .311 on-base percentage, .377 slugging percentage and .688 OPS. It has only gotten worse recently. Over his past 24 games, Betts has batted .175 with a .493 OPS.
“It’s just kind of talking to him, seeing where his head is at, seeing where he’s at mechanically, I just thought tonight was a night where I felt he needed to be down,” Roberts said. “He was more than willing and wanted to be out there. But for me, I wanted to take it out of his hands and have a day. I’ve talked about this before, just having players watch a baseball game.
“I understand we just had four days off at the break. But still showing up at the ballpark, and not participating, watching, that’s a different mindset, psyche than being at home. So for him to come here, show up, not play, know he’s not going to play – I feel good about the work he’s going to put in today and also I think for the mind it will be beneficial.”
Roberts said there are things Betts needs to “clean up” in his swing mechanics. But he also spoke of Betts mentally struggling with his inability to find a way out of his season-long slump.
“He wants to do well. He’s not used to struggling like this,” Roberts said. “I think he’s playing great defense. There’s a part of it where you feel like you’re letting people down, letting the team down. That weight that is just natural for him to carry is there.”
Will Smith replaced Betts as the No. 2 batter in Saturday’s lineup between Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. But Roberts dismissed the idea of dropping Betts down in the lineup when he returns.
“I don’t know. I’ve thought about that,” Roberts said. “Talking to Mookie, I just don’t know if hitting him first or ninth or anywhere in between changes where he’s at mechanically. … Where you hit in the order isn’t going to change that.”
A lower spot in the lineup could lower some of the pressure Betts is feeling. But it could also wound his pride. Betts has not hit lower than third in the lineup since starting 18 games in the fourth spot for the Boston Red Sox in 2017 and hasn’t hit lower than that since 2015, his first full season in the majors.
“If I felt a change, a different look in the lineup would help performance, I would do it. I’d be all in,” Roberts said. “But where he’s at, I just don’t think moving him down – I don’t think it would affect the psyche. I just don’t think it would be beneficial. So for me, to then move him down in the lineup, I don’t think that would be beneficial right now.”
Roberts has also said he doesn’t believe there is “a correlation” between Betts playing shortstop full time and his dropoff offensively.
“I just can’t see that you go out there and stick him in right field tonight and he’s going to throw out two hits or three hits, or he goes to second base and he’s going to go on a heater,” Roberts said before the All-Star break. “That’s hard for me to kind of imagine.”
KOPECH RECOVERY
Less than two weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a damaged meniscus in his right knee, right-hander Michael Kopech started his throwing program Saturday afternoon and is optimistic about returning to the mound before the end of the regular season.
Kopech was moved to the 60-day injured list after the surgery and won’t be eligible to return until August 27 at the earliest.
“To be honest with you, I think I could be back a lot sooner than 60 days but that’s obviously not a possibility at this point,” Kopech said. “I just looked at it with one of our trainers. I think August 27 is the earliest I can be back so I have that circled. If that’s realistic, I’ll be back then.”
Kopech opened the season on the 60-day IL as well due to shoulder and forearm issues during the offseason and spring. He made just eight appearances in June before going back on the IL. A pain-killing injection was not sufficient to treat the knee issue, leading to surgery in early July.
“I was expecting there to be some improvement as I built back up. Not only was it not getting better, it felt a lot worse,” Kopech said. “It was the kind of thing where I probably could have pitched at 80 percent but I don’t think that would have done anybody any good.
“Obviously I’m upset that I’m missing this much time again. But the silver lining is it feels better right now and I’ll be back when things matter.”
PROUD PAPA
The Brewers signed one of their draft picks before Saturday’s game – Brady Ebel, son of Dodgers coach Dino Ebel.
Brady was the 32nd pick overall out of Corona High School in this week’s draft. After years of taking batting and fielding practice at Dodger Stadium with his father, the younger Ebel took the field to work out with the Brewers after the signing ceremony, prompting Roberts and other members of the Dodgers’ staff to tease Dino Ebel about getting all of Brady’s Dodgers gear back.
“He’s already crossed over, eh?” Roberts said to Dino.
ALSO
Kike’ Hernandez has begun playing catch but there is no timeline for his return from a left elbow injury. “We’re just sort of in a holding pattern until he gets pain-free,” Roberts said.
UP NEXT
Brewers (LHP Jose Quintana, 6-3, 3.28 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Clayton Kershaw, 4-1, 3.38 ERA), Sunday, 1:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM