Mookie Betts will play short for the Dodgers when he returns

When Mookie Betts makes his long-awaited return from a broken left hand next week in Milwaukee, he’ll do so at a position that’s relatively familiar to the eight-time All-Star, but also one that’s relatively new.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Betts will remain at shortstop, where he was moved in early March because of Gavin Lux’s pitching problems. But he hadn’t played full-time since high school. That ended speculation that the six-time Gold Glove Award-winning right fielder could return to the outfield.

However, Roberts said Betts, who has made all 72 of his starts this season at first, will be moved to second in the batting order so that dynamic hitter Shohei Ohtani can remain at first and left-handed hitters Ohtani and No. 3 Freddie Freeman can be separated by the right-handed hitting Betts.

“I think it’s hard to argue (against) Shohei starting the game at leadoff,” Roberts said before Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies. “It breaks up Shohei and Freddie, I like the idea of ​​(Ohtani and Betts) possibly getting the majority of the at-bats, and I didn’t want to completely trash Freddie.

“The other part is I just feel like, as great as Mookie is, Shohei really has a chance to change the game from the first pitch.”

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Betts, the 2018 American League most valuable player with the Boston Red Sox, was hitting .304 this season with an on-base-plus-slugging percentage of .892, 10 homers, 16 doubles, 40 RBIs and 50 runs before being hit in the left hand by a 98 mph fastball on June 16.

Ohtani, who was hitting .314 with a .989 OPS, 19 homers, 18 doubles, 46 RBIs and 53 runs in 69 starts at second, replaced Betts at leadoff, where he was hitting .299 with a 1.095 OPS, 15 homers, 11 doubles, 35 RBIs and 33 runs in 41 games through Tuesday night.

Betts made 11 starts at second for the Dodgers in 2020, his first season with the team, but has not batted there since, making just 89 of his 1,310 career starts at second, 46 of which came with the Red Sox in 2019. Betts has a .307 average, .877 OPS, 12 home runs and 46 RBIs while batting second.

Roberts said he has spoken with Betts about moving to the second spot in the order. Betts, who is scheduled to play in a simulated game on Thursday and could make a few minor league rehab starts before being activated for Monday’s series opener against the Brewers, reiterated that he is willing to do what’s best for the team.

“One thing — I want to win,” Betts said Monday. “You want to win, that’s the first thing. That’s all I care about. I have confidence in my ability, confidence in myself, that I can step into any position and do what I need to do to help the team win.”

That attitude, combined with Betts’ athleticism and flexibility, led the Dodgers to move him from right field to second base last winter and from second base to shortstop in spring training.

Betts committed nine errors at shortstop, eight of them on pitches, but he improved as he gained experience and scored higher in a number of advanced metrics. Fangraphs credited him with five runs saved on defense.

The wily Miguel Rojas replaced Betts in mid-June and played excellent defense before suffering a right forearm injury on July 21. With Rojas expected to return this week and Lux, one of the team’s best hitters, more of a second base presence, Betts appeared open to a return to the outfield.

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“I don’t know, I mean, I haven’t talked to Doc about it yet,” Betts said Monday. “There’s a lot of guys here that can play shortstop. If that’s not in the cards, that’s fine. I can go from there, anywhere else. Just prepare, and where I land, I land.”

With Betts remaining at shortstop and Rojas set to return, veteran reliever Nick Ahmed could be given a new position. Also, recently acquired all-rounder Amed Rosario and perhaps Rojas could play with Lux at second base.

Utility infielder Tommy Edman, acquired last week from St. Louis, could play more outfield if he returns from an ankle injury. Rosario and Kiké Hernández, who replaced injured third baseman Max Muncy, could also play outfield, which could threaten the roster spots of young outfielders James Outman and Andy Pages.

“It’s tough, especially for the players,” Roberts said of the looming selection crisis. “As an organization, it’s always good to have more talent coming back. But the uncertainty of players who are active … could they get a tap on the shoulder? That’s not a nice feeling. So just focus on performing and helping us win a game, that’s my message.

“But they’re still human and they have emotions. It’s definitely a tough place. It’s like the last week of spring training, where guys are trying to see if they’ve made the opening day roster. You kind of get that vibe.”

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.