DENVER — The mystery continues.
After a hot two weeks following his return from a fractured toe, Mookie Betts has slipped back into another slump. Going into Tuesday night’s game at Coors Field, Betts was 6 for 37 (.162) over his previous 10 games.
Betts was 2 for 5 Tuesday, his first multi-hit game since June 7. But still, his .257 average, .339 on-base percentage and .394 slugging percentage would all be career-lows for the perennial All-Star. He has never posted an OPS under .800 in his career but is sitting at .733.
“I am. I think we all are,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said when asked if he is surprised Betts has not found his way back to his career levels. “None more surprised than Mookie himself.
“But he’s playing great shortstop, a premium position. He’s doing it at short. So I just feel that the bat is gonna come back to life.”
Betts’ defense at this new position has indeed taken a significant step forward this season. Is it more than coincidental that it seems to be taking away from his offensive game?
“I’m gonna hold to no,” Roberts said. “I think it’s a fair debate. But all I can go with is what Mookie is saying, as far as the separation of the hitting to the defense, the comfort level with the defense. There’s no anxiety. The confidence he has with the defense. And where he is stronger than he has been in quite some time, as far as physicalness, healthy.
“So I don’t think there’s a correlation.”
Betts doesn’t either but he hedges a little, admitting he doesn’t know for sure.
“It’s been really tough. But it kind of is what it is,” he said after going 2 for 5 on Tuesday night. “I’ve never played short every day, but I don’t think that’s really playing a part. Being sick and just kind of playing catchup – there’s a lot of variables that go into it, but you got to figure it out.”
The dropoff has been most notable in his lack of power. Betts’ career slugging percentage is .517, but he has just 10 doubles, a triple and nine home runs this season. The former American League MVP hasn’t hit a home run since June 8, 61 plate appearances ago.
“I think it’s the lack of hitting the ball on the barrel,” Roberts said. “It’s hard to have power when you haven’t been on the barrel. So that’s what’s happening right now. He’s a guy that knows how to find the barrel. There’s times that he’s chasing a little bit more than he usually does. And then there’s a lot more pop-ups than typical.
“To get power, you gotta find the barrel. That’s what we’re trying to do.”
StatCast shows Betts’ barrel percentage at 5.6%, his lowest since 2017 and his hard-hit percentage at a career-low 34.8%. Betts has attributed it to “bad habits” he got into while trying to generate bat speed early in the season, when a virus caused him to lose significant weight.
“I think some of it is pitch selection,” Roberts said. “Some of it is mechanics where you just don’t know where the barrel is. But again, things with hitting can change in an at-bat. You take one at-bat and something clicks and this conversation is no longer. There’s a lot of different variables that lead to not consistently finding the barrel.”
Roberts said he would not be dropping Betts from the No. 2 position in the Dodgers’ lineup.
OHTANI TALK
Shohei Ohtani’s next pitching assignment is expected to be Saturday in Kansas City but Roberts would not confirm that.
“I have to make sure I keep it open-ended,” Roberts said with a smile.
In the meantime, Ohtani leads all National League players in votes for the All-Star Game. If he still holds that distinction at the end of Phase One of the voting on Thursday, he will get an automatic spot in the National League All-Star starting lineup.
“That’s great,” Roberts said of Ohtani leading all NL players in votes. “The fans love him. He’s the best player. It’s going to be exciting for the fans to watch him in Atlanta for the All-Star Game.”
Roberts would not weigh in on whether the fans will see him in the Home Run Derby in Atlanta.
“That is a question for Shohei,” he said. “I’m staying out of that.”
As the manager of the NL stars, though, will Roberts ask Ohtani to pitch?
“No,” Roberts said quickly.
But will he bat leadoff?
“Yes,” he said just as quickly.
CELLAR TOUR
The Dodgers arrived in Colorado in the midst of 12 consecutive games against teams with losing records, including six against the two worst teams in baseball – the historically bad Colorado Rockies (18-60 coming in) and the Chicago White Sox (25-54).
It’s quite a drop from the stretch of 10 games against their division rivals (the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants) that capped 29 consecutive games against teams with winning records.
“It’s the truth – you need to beat the teams you’re supposed to beat. That’s just the way it is,” Roberts said.
He dismissed the idea that there could be a letdown facing the Rockies.
“I’d be shocked,” he said. “We’re not going to have a letdown. We might get beat. But it won’t be because we let down. We’re going to play hard.”
ALSO
After pitching a scoreless inning for Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on a rehab assignment, right-hander Luis Garcia joined the Dodgers in Colorado. Roberts indicated Garcia will be activated from the injured list at some point this week. He has been out since May 27 with a groin muscle injury.
