{"id":21139,"date":"2019-06-20T14:37:19","date_gmt":"2019-06-20T18:37:19","guid":{"rendered":"lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/\/?p=21139"},"modified":"2019-06-20T14:47:58","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T18:47:58","slug":"los-angeles-dodgers-versatility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2019\/06\/20\/los-angeles-dodgers-versatility\/","title":{"rendered":"Versatility Proving to Be Greatest Strength for Los Angeles Dodgers"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>Los Angeles Dodgers Dilemma<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The <a href=\"lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/\/mlb-teams\/los-angeles-dodgers\/\" target=\"_self\">Los Angeles Dodgers<\/a> won their 50th game of the season Wednesday night. They have dominated opposing teams with great pitching, timely hitting, and the ability to grind out baseball games. Yet their greatest asset could be the versatility of their players. Some would make the argument that the Dodgers should not fix it if it isn\u2019t broken. However, manager <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=roberda07,roberda06,roberda05,roberda03&amp;search=Dave+Roberts&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dave Roberts<\/a><\/strong> is actively looking for ways to make the lineup better. Roberts has made the claim that <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/polloaj01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">A.J. Pollock<\/a><\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/sports\/dodgers\/la-sp-dodgers-alex-verdugo-a-j-pollock-20190607-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">will play<\/a> when he comes back. This situation would leave <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/v\/verdual01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alex Verdugo<\/a><\/strong> or <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/p\/pederjo01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Joc Pederson<\/a><\/strong> as the odd man out in the outfield. However, Roberts has some creative ideas to keep both players in the lineup.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Joc Pederson to First Base<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Los Angeles Dodgers manager <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/search\/search.fcgi?pid=roberda07,roberda06,roberda05,roberda03&amp;search=Dave+Roberts&amp;utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dave Roberts<\/a> is seriously considering moving Joc Pederson <a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/sports\/dodgers\/la-sp-joc-pederson-first-base-aj-pollock-dodgers-report-20190618-story.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">to first base<\/a>. Pederson has taken some reps in the infield as a way to sustain his athleticism. However, he has never been a serious candidate to play in the infield. In fact, he has never logged an inning as an infielder in his professional career. With the return of Pollock approaching, the Dodgers are fast tracking Pederson\u2019s development as a first baseman. This would allow Pederson, Pollock, Verdugo, <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bellico01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cody Bellinger<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/muncyma01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Max Muncy<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to stay in the lineup all at once. This makes the Dodgers lineup against right-handed pitchers incredibly difficult to pitch to.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Dodgers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Dodgers<\/a> are preparing for ways to keep Joc Pederson and Alex Verdugo in the lineup when A.J. Pollock returns. The team is going to give Joc a shot at playing first base:<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/y30KAdYr8m\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">https:\/\/t.co\/y30KAdYr8m<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dodgers&#8217; Way (@DodgersWayFS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DodgersWayFS\/status\/1141351091906310144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">June 19, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Joc Pederson fielding grounders at first base again today. When we\u2019ve asked him about in the past, he\u2019s said it\u2019s to help with hand-eye coordination. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1psXAsMCPP\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/1psXAsMCPP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DodgerBlue1958\/status\/1134229537670086657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 30, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why Not Max Muncy<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/m\/muncyma01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Max Muncy<\/a><\/strong> has logged quite a few innings at first base for the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, he has showed incredible amounts of versatility playing second base. This gives the Dodgers lots of options as <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/h\/hernaen02.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Enrique Hernandez<\/a><\/strong>, who won the second base job out of spring training, has been struggling offensively. Moving Muncy to second base when a right-hander is on the mound allows the Dodgers to have an additional lefty in the lineup.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Why Not Cody Bellinger<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/b\/bellico01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cody Bellinger<\/a><\/strong> has logged many innings playing first base. It would be a logical thought to have him play first base instead of Pederson. However, Bellinger dove for a ball on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mlb.com\/news\/cody-bellinger-will-no-longer-play-first-base\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 6th<\/a> of this year and dislocated his left shoulder. The Dodgers made the executive decision to keep Bellinger out of the infield to protect his shoulder. This decision has seemed to pay off, as he has made some stellar plays in the outfield. In the grand scheme of things, he can contribute more with his athleticism in the outfield as opposed to at first base.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Plan for Left-Handed Pitching<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The Dodgers will have a day-to-day decision on who plays first base depending on who is on the mound. Pederson has shown that he struggles with left-handed pitchers. With this in mind, he will not be in the lineup when southpaws are throwing. This gives Dave Roberts some options. He can start right-handed-hitting <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/f\/freesda01.shtml?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">David Freese<\/a><\/strong> or he can start Max Muncy. Muncy has proved that he can adequately handle left-handed pitching. Enrique Hernandez has also logged some time at first base this year. With this in mind, he can also get into the lineup against left-handed pitching at first base.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>A Deep, Talented Roster<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>It is safe to say that the Dodgers do not have to worry about depth at any position. They have multiple players who can step up and compete day in and day out. This is a huge advantage for Dave Roberts. He can pencil in any of his guys and know that they will produce. It will be interesting to see when Joc Pederson makes his debut at first base. This can truly be a game changer down the stretch to force another lefty in the lineup against right-handed pitchers. Although the Dodgers have great talent, their versatility is proving to be their greatest strength in 2019.\u00a0A creative move like this could be just what the doctor ordered to get the Dodgers over the hump of being World Series runner-up.<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo<br \/>\n<a id=\"nQpuHt29RZdgISzpdBVBvQ\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1140038707\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'nQpuHt29RZdgISzpdBVBvQ',sig:'m2MlPEQjIhKd8nj1gcL0y2yT8A6-SUTVyruuDzKz38o=',w:'594px',h:'432px',items:'1140038707',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Los Angeles Dodgers are teaching Joc Pederson to play 1st base. This move proves the Los Angeles Dodgers Versatility is their greatest strength in 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3065,"featured_media":21176,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"1","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33,1071],"tags":[2299,900,899,1175,1083,423,92,2240,69],"class_list":["post-21139","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-dodgers","category-mlb","tag-aj-pollock","tag-alex-verdugo","tag-cody-bellinger","tag-david-freese","tag-enrique-hernandez","tag-joc-pederson","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-max-muncy","tag-mlb"],"modified_by":"Evan Thompson","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21139","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3065"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21139"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21139\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21176"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21139"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21139"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21139"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}