Dodgers: The Injury Plagued and Underachieving Outfield

Back before the season started, I touched on the Dodgers outfield “problem.” Looking back at it, my predictions were pretty far off, but then they looked as if they were the best options.

After the first month of the season, the team has had it’s fair share of injuries to the outfield. So many injuries that the team was rushed to call up top prospect Cody Bellinger. Between injuries and lack of production, the outfield has come to look very different from first expected. 21 games into the season I’ll take another look at the options and talk about what the ideal outfield should be.

The Wild Horse:

To start the season, Yasiel Puig has been the most reliable outfielder on the Dodgers roster. His 4 home runs, 11 runs batted in and .419 OBP have been very promising. What may be even more promising, is his low strikeout rates that have plagued his career since his call up.

Puig’s hot start to the year had everyone imagining another 2013 season, and we all got caught up in the hype. Since then, Puig has considerably cooled off, but it doesn’t concern me. Puig has visibly increased his plate discipline by laying off the off-speed pitches that have fooled him in previous years. His new stance is something to attribute this too, or it may just be that Puig has finally put it all together.

Puig’s bat isn’t the only thing that keeps him in the lineup, however. Puig’s defensive skills have kept him on the field, and we all know how captivating he is in right field. If you’re not impressed with his glove work, then go ahead and watch him gun down Brandon Belt to save a run. You’d think teams would’ve learned by now, but Yasiel has a pretty good arm.

Is this the year Puig finally puts its together and shows his real talent? I sure hope so, and if he can keep it together for the entire year, then he will be a key part to the Dodgers playoff hopes. Whatever the answer is to that question, Puig has earned his playing time in right field.

Tolsey:

I was always the skeptical guy on Toles, and I was hoping that he would prove me wrong. To start the season, Toles has been… confusing. So far he has hit 3 homers and driven in 8 runs, pretty impressive right? Well as impressive as it may be, his .212/.268/.652 slash line has been frustrating, to say the least.

Coming into the season, it was uncertain if Toles would be able to return to his 2016 form. To be honest, it is way too early into the season to determine how his season will go. Based on the eye test, he has looked very “meh” to me.

What he has been good at is situational hitting, and it’s the whole reason he remains in the lineup. Toles has been batting .172 with the bases empty, compared to a robust .300 with RISP. It could be a good idea to take him out of the leadoff spot despite his speed, maybe he performs better at the bottom of the lineup in situations that allow him to drive in runs.

Toles proved himself last year as a valuable asset to the team, but this year we are seeing signs of why he was never able to secure a spot on a major league roster until last year. Despite his puzzling start, Toles is one of the top options for the Dodgers outfield at the moment and will have playing time out there for the time being. He’s still in a platoon situation but with all the injuries, Toles has some playing time confirmed for the time being.

The Field:

Joc Pederson:

I was very excited to see what Joc Pederson would do this year, as he looked poised for a breakout campaign. Well after 18 games of disappointment, Joc went down with a groin injury, and it may be worse than originally thought.

Ideally, Joc is the Dodgers center fielder as he is the best fielder and a solid bat to keep him in the lineup. It was originally announced he would be sidelined for 2-3 weeks, but now I worry it will be longer with the call-up of Cody Bellinger. When Joc comes back he will be the Dodgers center fielder; the question is who will he replace on the roster upon his return.

Trayce Thompson:

Trayce started the year 0-38 between AAA and the majors and still seems like he’s not fully recovered from back surgery. Trayce did look okay in spring training, but we all know how deceiving spring training can be. My hope is that he just needs some time to get back into a baseball routine and he will be okay. Right now, he is best served remaining in AAA to get some at-bats and work off the rust and make sure he’s fully healthy.

Enrique Hernandez:

Kike has been a great surprise for the team his year as he has played in 17 games and had an OBP of .342. I believe he is better served as a reserve for the infield, but I wouldn’t mind he stealing a few starts from the outfield while he is hitting well. For the time being, he has earned himself a spot on the roster, but should not be an everyday starting option for the outfield. I expect him to continue to split time in center field with Andrew Toles until Pederson comes back from the DL. But at this point, I don’t think his roster spot is in question.

More from Dodgers Way

• Cody Bellinger avoided breaking Dodgers fans’ hearts with free agency decision
• Could Will Smith’s recruiting pitch for Aaron Judge sway Dodgers?
• Dodgers’ interest in Andrew McCutchen feels like perfect fit for current roster
• Dodgers rumored to be favorites for Carlos Correa is ultimate offseason twist
• Dodgers losing Justin Verlander to Mets demands Carlos Rodon overpay

Scott Van Slyke:

I was really rooting for Scott Van Slyke to be a key bench piece for the team this year, but after he’s’ gotten off to a terrible start, he may not be on the team much longer. After suffering through injuries last season Scott looks to be in the same boat as Trayce Thompson as he doesn’t look comfortable on the field. If Scott isn’t able to pick up his .148 batting average soon, he may find himself in AAA or as a piece in a potential trade.

Franklin Gutierrez:

Six games into Franklin’s Dodger career, he went down with a hamstring injury, effectively marking himself as a true Dodger. Franklin was signed this year to do one thing, and one thing only hit lefties. All jokes aside, Franklin should be returning within the next two weeks and will be used as a platoon option to aid with the Dodgers lefty woes.

Andre Ethier:

Basically, Andre is dealing with a herniated disk and could come back as early as June but quite possibly not return at all for the season. I wouldn’t hold my breath on him, but I’ll be optimistic and say he get back before the season ends.

Next: Expectations for Julio Urias

Because of injuries and underwhelming performances, the Dodgers outfield will consist of Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles, and Cody Bellinger.  I dream of some point in the year where we get to see Toles swapped out for Pederson, but for the time being, they will work with what they have.  The Dodgers have tons of outfield talent, and it’s only a matter of if they can all get back on track.  If they can the Dodgers will have a good problem on their hands, but that’s a topic for another day.