Mookie Betts has continued to play shortstop while the Dodgers manage injuries to Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim and Max Muncy. Manager Dave Roberts values Betts' play at short and is reluctant to move him back to the outfield immediately to avoid overexposing rookie Alex Freeland. Betts emphasizes his positional flexibility, saying he will play wherever is needed. Betts ranks with an Outs Above Average of 3, placing him in the 85th percentile, and has 11 defensive runs saved, tied for third among active shortstops. After early-season health issues and a midseason slump, Betts has hit .344 with a .881 OPS in his last 15 games.
"It's a fair question," said manager Dave Roberts. "I think right now, having Tommy Edman out, Hyeseong Kim out, Max Muncy out, just trying to manage playing time and not exposing [rookie infielder] Alex Freeland too much, I love the way Mookie's playing short. Though I think that's a fair question, I don't think we're there quite yet."
Betts is well above average at shortstop, with an Outs Above Average ranking of 3, putting him in the 85th percentile in MLB. He is also tied for third among all active shortstops with 11 defensive runs saved on the year. According to Betts, he is more flexible than what the public may assert.
Another facet of Betts' game that had come under fire this season was his offense. After a brutal spring that ended with a stomach bug that would get him sent back home from the team trip to Japan early and resulted in him missing the first two regular season games of the season, plus dealing with a broken toe in June, the superstar underwent a brutal slump.
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