Originally published by DodgerBlue.com
The Los Angeles Dodgers had to make some adjustments to their lineup and defense after Mookie Betts suffered a fractured hand and was placed on the injured list.
While Betts is an irreplaceable talent, the Dodgers have chosen to have Miguel Rojas take his place at shortstop and Shohei Ohtani lead off in manager Dave Roberts’ lineup.
That move paid off in a major way on Thursday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies. Ohtani hit a leadoff homer, his 21st home run of the season, in a 5-3 Dodgers victory.
It solidified that Ohtani, one of the only players with leadoff experience on the Dodgers, is the perfect short-term replacement for Betts at that spot.
Roberts felt there was never another option and that the move carries plenty of benefits for Ohtani and for the entire team, according to Dennis Georgatos of the Southern California News Group:
“It was by default,” Roberts said when asked about the move before the game. “We had no one else. So, he’s a perfect default. He’s done it before. He’s done it before. And honestly, he’s swinging the bat well there, and he was starting to swing the batter better before that. So, he’s just doing what he needs to do as far as controlling the zone.”
Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman — staying at the No. 3 spot in the lineup — was happy to see lead off homers continuing from Ohtani in Betts’ absence:
“It’s always nice to get a leadoff home run,” Freeman said. “Seeing a ball go over the fence to get it running, I think it kind of helped out.”
The L.A. Angels also experimented with Ohtani at the leadoff position for some time, and it is the two-way superstar’s third-most frequent lineup spot for his career. He has a .924 OPS with 16 home runs and a 1.032 OPS with seven home runs as the first batter of the game.
The Dodgers should be able to weather the storm of not having Betts as long as Ohtani can have this level of success from the leadoff position.
Shohei Ohtani looking forward to facing Angels
Ohtani gets a first look at his former team on Friday when the Angels come to Dodger Stadium. He admitted that he still follows the team here and there and is looking forward to facing them for the first time.
The Halos are not a contending team in 2024 but have always played the Dodgers well.
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