Saturday, August 09

Welcome back to the Dodgers Beat newsletter!

One week past the Trade Deadline, the Dodgers are ahead of the Padres by a mere two games in the NL West, their smallest lead since June 15. Welcome to the stretch run.

Given all that, it felt like a good time for a Dodgers mailbag. Thanks to everyone who submitted questions, which have been lightly edited for clarity. Let's get into it:

Considering Mookie Betts' batting performance over the last few months, is there any talk about moving him down in the order? -- Terry P. from Jasper, Ga.

Manager Dave Roberts has been firm that he's not planning on hitting Betts lower than second. Agree or disagree, this appears to be how things are going to be.

My take is that Roberts is trying to create stability for Betts and the lineup as a whole. Part of his rationale for hitting Betts in the two-hole is that Will Smith -- the logical option to hit second -- gets two days off per week, so it's not an everyday solution. The way Roberts sees it, as he told reporters at Dodger Stadium on Monday, "There's no better alternative."

I'm of the opinion that batting order doesn't matter that much. But when you look at it as whom you would rather have take an extra at-bat on a given day -- Betts or Smith -- the answer is clear.

Is there any chance that Mookie will see action in right field during the stretch run or in the playoffs? -- George L. from Rolling Hills Estates, Calif.

I think it's not out of the question if there's a compelling reason for Betts to move back to right, like there was last year. But as of now, the Dodgers consider him their shortstop.

Who do you see as the closer in October if Blake Treinen doesn't come around and the club has given up on Tanner Scott? Ben Casparius seems like a possibility, but with only 37 games and two saves in his big league career it seems like a leap of faith. -- Billy F. from Hermosa Beach, Calif.

Alex Vesia has been the Dodgers' steadiest high-leverage reliever (even after Wednesday's hiccup). But he's been more of a fireman, so I wouldn't expect him to be reserved for the ninth inning.

Quite frankly, given those parameters, there's not really a clear choice. I'm intrigued by Bobby Miller's move to the bullpen with Triple-A Oklahoma City, but I'd like to see a bigger sample before drawing any conclusions about his long-term success in that role. Best-case scenario, Treinen shakes off the rust and Scott gets healthy and figures things out. 

Are all of Shohei Ohtani's strikeouts concerning? The Dodgers have always been known as a team with great awareness of the strike zone, but Ohtani doesn't seem to fit the mold. Are they willing to live with the strikeouts in the name of leaving him who he is as a player and not risking losing that "athletic" part of his game? -- Tani S. from Houston, Texas

The Dodgers tend to benefit when Ohtani swings big. But swing-and-miss is a side effect.

Ohtani is striking out at a 26.9% clip this year, an uptick from his career mark of 25.6%. Asked about the difference between this year and last, Roberts has noticed some situations where Ohtani's not shortening up his swing to extend an at-bat.

It should also be said that Ohtani has been striking out at a higher rate since his return to pitching, so his adjustment to being a two-way player again may have something to do with it. I think it's fair to say it's a short-term concern, but probably not a long-term issue.

Want to check in on some of the injured players that we have not heard as much about lately, to see how they are progressing and the possibilities of seeing them on the mound before the season ends. Guys like Brusdar Graterol, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt. Even Tony Gonsolin. -- Steven W. from Auburn, Wash.

There hasn't been much information about the players rehabbing in Arizona, but Graterol, Ryan and Hurt are all working through throwing progressions. Graterol is expected back by the end of the season, but I would be surprised if Ryan and Hurt return this year. They're both about 12 months post-op, and that would be a relatively quick timetable.

My guess is that Gonsolin won't be back this season. He's almost out of time to build up a starter, and even if he were to build up for a short-burst role, he is not throwing yet, as far as we've seen.

Andy Pages was named the Dodgers' recipient of this year's Heart & Hustle Award, the MLB Players Alumni Association announced. The annual honor is given to active players who "exemplify a true passion for the game and who best embody the values, spirit, and tradition of the game," as voted on by former players.

All 30 teams have a nominee, and the overall winner of the award will be announced in November.

Smith has been an invaluable contributor for the Dodgers this year, and his impact extends off the field as well.

Smith and his wife, Cara, put on a comedy night that benefited their Catching Hope Foundation on Wednesday. The Smiths established their foundation in 2021 with the mission "to help underprivileged children with critical skills needed for leadership, self-advocacy, and self-sufficiency."

Several Dodgers were in attendance to support their teammate on a night of comedy at the Largo hosted by Tom Papa, featuring sets from Dustin Nickerson, Dusty Slay, Judd Apatow, Tig Notaro, Jim Jefferies, Ronny Chieng and Justin Willman.

This marked the second time the Catching Hope Foundation has put on a comedy show for a good cause. Last year, the Smiths partnered with Netflix to host the first edition of the event.

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