Sunday, August 31

Welcome back to the Dodgers Beat newsletter! 

With more than a third of the regular season in the books, it feels like a good time for a Dodgers mailbag.

Thanks to everyone who submitted questions -- which have been lightly edited for clarity -- through the link in the previous newsletter. Let's get into it.

Are the Dodgers gonna move Mookie Betts back to the outfield in the postseason and put Tommy Edman back as the shortstop? As Mookie’s glove in the outfield is more valuable, and there’s no room for mistakes in the postseason. -- Xiang L. from Toronto

Manager Dave Roberts pretty much put that idea to bed about a week ago in New York.

"I don't see us making a change even as we did last year. I don't see that happening," Roberts said. "He's a Major League shortstop on a championship club.”

Betts has actually graded out quite well defensively, but to approach this from another side, I've also seen some concern about his move to shortstop potentially affecting his offensive production. Betts actually addressed this on Sunday, noting how he had no problem producing as a shortstop last year (.907 OPS, compared with .840 as a right fielder). 

That said, if there's a situation where a temporary shift to right field for Betts would objectively be the best move for the team from a lineup construction standpoint, maybe there's an off chance it happens. But I don't see that as being likely. 

How much more “runway” does Michael Conforto legitimately have? We could have kept Chris Taylor to have a .160-hitting left fielder. I know Doc has said that Dalton Rushing won't be seeing time in left, but isn't it a viable option at this point to get a better bat in the lineup? -- Adam W. from Stockton, Calif.

It has been a very slow process, but Conforto has actually been turning things around lately. Entering Monday, he was hitting .260 with an .817 OPS in 16 games dating back to May 10. 

The Dodgers had been hopeful that a change of scenery plus the opportunity to work with the team's player development staff could help Conforto get close to his form from, say, some of his best years with the Mets. But quite frankly, on this club, he doesn't need to be playing at that level. If Conforto can keep up what he has been doing lately, he'll end up being pretty valuable.

As for Rushing, the Dodgers have been adamant about him focusing on his work with the pitching staff and developing as a catcher. I think it's more likely that he sees occasional time at first base when the team is able to get Freddie Freeman off his feet early, rather than getting any looks in left field. 

What is the general timeline for the starters (Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki) on the injured list to come back? -- Chris K. from Nashville, Tenn.

Broadly speaking, I wouldn't expect to see any of them start a game for the Dodgers until around the All-Star break, and probably not until after. 

Ohtani is a case of his own, and he has been ramping up his progress lately. It has been difficult to plot out the trajectory of his buildup because it has been an untraditional process, but it should be somewhat more straightforward now that he's facing hitters. Ohtani last threw two innings on 29 pitches, and he'll probably get in the neighborhood of six and 90 before he's ready to return as a pitcher.

It has been slow going for Snell, Sasaki and Glasnow, who's in somewhat of a holding pattern. As general manager Brandon Gomes recently said, the Dodgers are taking their time with their injured pitchers now in the hope that the team can have them at their best in the postseason.

“It’s just being mindful and methodical about the foundational component and the buildup so that when they come back," Gomes said, "the thought is … they’re running through what we hope is a deep October run.” 

What are the Dodgers doing to identify why so many pitchers are on the IL? Is it their throwing regime, lack of flexibility, weight training, what? -- Karen S. from Salt Lake City, Utah

The Dodgers did a deep dive into their pitcher injuries in the offseason. They haven't shared many specific findings, but they are examining how personal history and usage can impact the risk of injury. I actually wrote about this recently, and you can read more here.

The Dodgers, along with the rest of Major League Baseball, observed the fifth annual Lou Gehrig Day, which raises awareness for ALS. Before Monday's game against the Mets, the team partnered with the Permobil Foundation and the Live Like Lou Foundation to present a new wheelchair to Jason Ramirez, a former high school softball coach from Whittier who is battling ALS. 

It's also a day that is close to our hearts at MLB.com because our wonderful colleague, Sarah Langs, has ALS. Since her diagnosis, she has done so much good for the ALS community -- all the while giving us reminders of why, in her words, baseball is the best. 

A busy homestand against both New York teams concludes this week, and there are a couple of notable happenings before the Dodgers hit the road. To see Dodger Stadium's full-season promotional schedule, click here.

Tuesday: Filipino Heritage Night (special event)

Wednesday: Sandy Koufax Brooklyn Dodgers jersey giveaway

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