Mookie Betts was moved to the cleanup spot on Tuesday, as manager Dave Roberts dropped the slumping shortstop from his customary No. 2 position in the Dodgers’ lineup.
“Just to kind of give a different look,” Roberts said.
Betts is batting .157 in the 12 games he has played since returning from the injured list. He was sidelined for five weeks with an oblique strain.
He was 0 for 3 in the series opener against the Colorado Rockies on Monday but his sacrifice fly in the Dodgers’ four-run seventh inning drove in the tying run in a 5-3 comeback victory.
“Obviously, he’s not confident in his swing, his mechanics,” Roberts said. “I think a little bit, he might be taking that into the batter’s box. Right now, I think the mechanics is one thing, but I think a little bit overthinking, trying too hard, anxious.”
Is Betts where many of the Dodgers’ other hitters were a few weeks ago when their concerns about their swing mechanics interfered with their ability to compete?
“Yeah, I think that’s exactly where he’s at right now,” Roberts said.
Evan Phillips threw to hitters at Dodger Stadium for the first time since he underwent Tommy John surgery last year and could be close to starting a minor-league rehabilitation assignment.
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Phillips said the live-batting session was his third in about a week. He said the tentative plan is for him to throw a couple of times more in Arizona and report to triple-A Oklahoma City.
Phillips didn’t know how hard he threw on Tuesday, but said he was clocked at 94-95 mph last week.
Shohei Ohtani is expected to pitch and hit for the Dodgers on Wednesday — “unless something changes tonight,” Roberts said.
Max Muncy remains on track to return to the Dodgers’ lineup Wednesday. Muncy was hit by a pitch on his right wrist on Friday.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: nypost.com
