The Los Angeles Dodgers are preparing for the return of one of their trio of Most Valuable Players.
Mookie Betts is slated to return to action for the Dodgers after breaking his hand on June 16. LA is uniquely suited to withstand the loss of a player like Betts. They were able to slide Shohei Ohtani to the leadoff spot where he had a ton of success. In the No. 2 spot they were able to mix and match with Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez and Will Smith.
Ohtani wasted no time fitting into the leadoff spot. He posted a whopping 1.085 OPS there, and slugged 15 home runs in 41 games. Ohtani's average in the leadoff spot is 15 points worse, but his on-base percentage is 27 points better.
Now with Betts' return on the horizon, it raises the question of how the Dodgers re-integrate another MVP into their lineup.
It's the ultimate good problem to have, and manager Dave Roberts already has his solution. He told reporters ahead of Tuesday's game vs. the Phillies that Betts would bat second and play shortstop in his return. Ohtani will stay in the leadoff spot.
This is a pretty dramatic change for Betts. He has started 1,069 games in the leadoff spot during his career. He has just 89 starts in the No. 2 hole.
However, the numbers indicate Betts might actually be better batting second.
In 421 plate appearances batting second, he has a .307 batting average and a .390 on-base percentage. His slugging percentage dips from .537 as a leadoff man to .488 when batting second, but a little less power is something the Dodgers will live with since Freeman and Teoscar Hernandez can provide power behind their shortstop in the lineup.
There could be an added benefit for Ohtani, who has struggled since the All-Star break. Having Betts behind him may force pitchers to attack the strike zone more often with Ohtani at the plate. Ohtani walked 31 times in 191 plate appearances as a leadoff hitter, compared to just 32 times in 312 plate appearances batting second.
There's an argument to be made that Betts should move to right field defensively, but keeping him at shortstop helps stabilize an infield that's seen a slew of changes during the season.
This is a fascinating wrinkle for a Dodgers lineup that needs a jolt. Simply dropping Betts back into the order will help. Putting him behind Ohtani for the first time all year may generate a ripple effect that kickstarts an inconsistent Dodgers offense.
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