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After a slow start to his sophomore season, Andy Pages has begun to show some promising signs at the plate. But there is some question of whether he's done enough to hold onto the everyday center-field job. While the Dodgers struggled on their 2-4 road trip through Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., Pages seemed to find something in the last couple of games, when he homered on back-to-back days. The second homer was especially big, as it knotted the finale in Washington and set the stage for the Dodgers to come back, avoiding a sweep. Manager Dave Roberts had given Pages the day off in Monday's opener, a chance to reset after starting each of the prior 11 games, all but one in center field. At that point, the 25-year-old had gone 4-for-34 (.118) with just one extra-base hit, and 14 strikeouts against five walks. "I think that he's getting a lot of opportunities, and I think he's built to play every day," Roberts said Monday. "He has a mind to play every day. But sometimes in big league baseball, the 0-fers start to accrue pretty quickly. … I just think that to sit back, let his teammates play a game and then get him back in there -- it's a good way to go from." |
Pages appreciated getting a breather -- and later, felt relief when that first home run left the yard. He admitted that the frustration he felt over his lack of results may have trickled into other aspects of his game. "At the beginning of Spring Training, I wasn't guaranteed a spot on the team, so I had to work through it to win a spot," Pages said through interpreter Juan Dorado. "I was able to win it, but the last 10 games or so, I haven't gotten the results I wanted. But being able to help the team out today, or get some results today, was a major lift off my back." Even though he's starting to build momentum at the plate, Pages hasn't looked particularly great in center field, which may be the more pressing issue for the Dodgers. If the team doesn't begin to see improvement there soon, then L.A. could consider seeing what Hyeseong Kim has to offer. |
Kim, who signed a three-year, $12.5 million deal with the Dodgers after spending eight seasons with the KBO's Kiwoom Heroes, has primarily been a middle infielder in his professional career. But Tommy Edman has looked great at second base and Mookie Betts has the run of shortstop, so Kim has had to tap into his versatility. Kim didn't play much in center field during Spring Training, although Roberts had talked about getting him reps there as a potential avenue to a roster spot. That did not materialize, as the Dodgers opted for Kim to begin the season with Triple-A Oklahoma City in order to continue working on his swing. The 26-year-old has been productive in his time with the Comets, going 14-for-48 (.292) with seven doubles and four stolen bases across 11 games. He's struck out 14 times against four walks -- and made five starts in center field. Before this season, Kim had not spent any time in center field as a professional. He said early in spring that he actually felt more comfortable playing center than in left field -- where he logged 291 2/3 innings in the KBO -- because he finds it easier to track down balls when he's playing up the middle. The Dodgers want to develop Kim the right way and make sure he has time to acclimate to the different challenges of playing in the Majors. But it might not be long before he gets his first taste of the big leagues if he continues on this trajectory. |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Freddie Freeman (right ankle sprain) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list and back in the Dodgers' lineup vs. the Cubs on Friday, per Roberts, which is coincidentally the night that the team will give away a bobblehead depicting Freeman's one-of-a-kind walk-off grand slam from Game 1 of the 2024 World Series. Freeman has only appeared in three games this season after missing the Tokyo Series with left rib discomfort, then being sidelined after the Dodgers' first home series because he aggravated his surgically repaired right ankle by slipping in the shower. Kiké Hernández did an admirable job of filling in for Freeman in the field, but the star first baseman's bat is far more difficult to replace. The offense looked flat at times in the past two series, so penciling in Freeman at the top of the order should provide a big boost. |
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With the Dodgers essentially keeping their starters on a once-a-week schedule early in the season, they've had to get creative while Blake Snell is on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. Instead of needing to fill just one of the games in Washington with a spot starter or bullpen game, L.A. had to recall both Justin Wrobleski and Landon Knack to cover the final two games of their road trip. Neither start went particularly well. Wrobleski allowed eight runs across five innings, and Knack gave up five runs in 2 1/3 innings. The Dodgers will again have to figure out who will follow Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tyler Glasnow and Dustin May in the upcoming six-game homestand, but Knack will start one of the last two games against the Rockies, per Roberts. As for the other, what will the Dodgers do? Wrobleski was optioned to Oklahoma City as the corresponding move for Knack, so he must remain in the Minors for 15 days unless he replaces an injured player. If the team opts to go the bullpen game route, rookies Ben Casparius and Jack Dreyer might be an effective tandem -- both have regularly been going multiple innings and have looked sharp to open the season. |
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