Dodgers: Grading the Infield for the Month of May

During May, the Dodgers’ infield blossomed into one of the most productive offensive units in baseball. The infield had a combined slash line of .278/.303/.464 across the month of May, and received contributions across the board.

The month of May started out as a rough one for the Dodgers, but their infield was a big reason why they turned it around to finish out the month at 19-9. The infield has been shockingly productive, despite injuries to Justin Turner, Logan Forsythe, and Adrian Gonzalez.

Los Angeles is in a unique position, where their depth is nearly unparalleled in all of baseball. Not only do they have a strong team in general, but they have a number of position players that can move anywhere on the field and play above-average defense.

This has been especially true in the month of May, as we’ve seen with Chris Taylor, Enrique Hernandez, and young Cody Bellinger, who have all played multiple positions. That being said, here is a breakdown of each infielder’s grade for May.

In his first full month in the majors, Cody Bellinger proved that he is the real deal. Since the call-up in late April, he has broken records, won player of the week, and set new expectations. Since his meteoric rise to stardom earlier in the month, Bellinger has come back down to earth.

Yes, his power is there and yes his batter’s eye in on par with that of a seasoned veteran. But his strikeout rate is ridiculous, and it’s happening more and more on pitches that are in the zone. Through the month of May, Bellinger struck out 40 times in 106 at bats. That means he strikes out about an unsightly 38 percent of the time.

All that to say, Bellinger is young. He’ll be 22 in July, and Dodger fans have only just begun to see the enormous potential. Bellinger came through in some clutch situations in May, and his nine home runs were a huge boost to the club. With a slugging percentage just over .560, Bellinger will no doubt make a solid middle of the order run producer this season. Not to mention, he can play just about anywhere. Final slash line in May: .245/.314/.566

It’s been a somewhat lackluster start to Forsythe’s Dodger tenure. He ended up on the disabled list due to a few injuries, highlighted by a fractured toe. After batting .295 in April, Forsythe dipped to .160 in May in just 25 at-bats after his stint on the disabled list.

Despite this, he has shown signs of life as of late. He had a walk-off hit against the Cardinals in extra innings, and he blasted his first Dodger home run of the season. So it looks as if a turnaround is on the horizon. Luckily, the Dodgers had enough depth to cover his absence, but they will most certainly need his bat down the stretch.

With more consistent playing time and hopefully with better health, Forsythe will at least get back to his .260+ batting average he’s displayed over the past three years.

Final slash line in May: .160/.344/.320

Losing one of your most consistent offensive hitters for any period can be devastating to a lineup. But realistically, Gonzalez probably should have started the year on the disabled list.

His sore elbow that hindered him early on clearly looks to be better. Not only did he blast his first home run of the year, but Gonzo has been hitting the ball hard since his stint at Class A Ranch Cucamonga.

So far this month, El Titan has managed to hit .269, even though his on-base percentage is about 88 points below his career average. Gonzalez has always been a run producer, and that has not changed yet this year.

He has 20 RBIs so far and will probably get at least 85 on the year. While he may not display the same pop that he did in his first four Dodger seasons, he will be a reliable offensive player and should continue to play Gold Glove caliber defense.

Final slash line in May: .269/.273/.404

Dodger fans have always harbored the slightest bit of animosity for Yasmani Grandal, as he was the main piece in a trade that sent fan favorite Matt Kemp to the Padres. But Grandal is proving he is every bit worth the cost it took to acquire him.

After a slow start to the 2017 season, he has caught fire at the plate. Grandal hit .330 in the month of May and provided a huge jolt for the Dodgers’ offense. Aside from mashing balls all over the field, Grandal has also played superb defense. He’s thrown out more than 50 percent of would-be base stealers, all while helping out the pitching staff with his game-calling and terrific pitch-framing.

Perhaps his best game in all of May came on the 9th against the Pirates, when he went 3 for 5, blasting a home run off of Ivan Nova. Grandal also threw out Chris Bostick trying to steal second base during the game.

If Grandal can continue the pace he set last month, there should be no doubt he’ll be playing in the All-Star Game in Miami. Thus far voters have snubbed Yasmani, as he is in fifth place for catcher votes, 430,000 votes behind Buster Posey.

Final slash line in May: .337/.374/.523

Kike is one of those beneficial players that Dave Roberts can play essentially anywhere on the diamond. Kike has started in the outfield 16 times and in the infield 11 times during the 2017 season. That sort of versatility is incredibly beneficial to a team, but it means nothing without production. And Hernandez is just now beginning to produce, perhaps sparked by the absolute bomb he launched off of Cubs’ starter Jon Lester.

In the month of May Kike hit .271 with two home runs, a full 40 points above his April production. And he did his job against lefties, slugging to a 1.162 OPS off them.

Hernandez is one of the more fun players on the team, so to see him start to hit well is an encouraging sign. He is a guy that the players seem to enjoy having around, and he needs to continue at this pace he is on.

Final slash line in May: .271/.353/.525

Chris Taylor easily had the best month of his career in May. He surprised everyone when he burst onto the scene with four home runs last month and he really surprised everyone (perhaps himself included) when he took over center field duties for the injured Joc Pederson.

Taylor has proven that he can be every bit as versatile as Bellinger and Hernandez and that he can be just as productive as any player on the team. He’s on this list because he is still technically an infielder, but he now is up to eight straight games starting in center for the Dodgers. If he keeps this up, there is a chance he’ll platoon with Joc Pederson when he returns from his concussion.

Taylor has had some terrific games this May, but his best game was probably on the 19th against Miami. In that game, Taylor was starting at second base and went 3 for 4 with a home run and double.

Final slash line in May: .322/.430/.511

Before he was removed from a game against the Marlins half way through the month, Justin Turner was producing in a big way. Turner was batting .333 in 51 at-bats up until he rounded third base a little too hard and pulled up with a hamstring injury.

Although his power has been absent, the Dodgers have missed his high on-base percentage and batting average. Since then, third base has consisted of Logan Forsythe, Kike Hernandez, and Chris Taylor. All are exceptionally good defenders, but only Taylor has been able to mirror the offensive output.

There is not an immediate rush to get him back into the lineup, but his absence is starting to be felt. Up until the last three games, the offense seemed to be producing without him. However, Los Angeles has only scored three runs in the last 28 innings. If the current trend continues, his bat will be sorely missed.

Final slash line in May: .333/.435/.373

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Just when you think Chase Utley is finally washed up and reached the end of his career, he goes out and has a month like he did this past May. A guy that’s all business on the field, Utley proved he’s nowhere near done.

He had one of the best offensive months in all of baseball, hitting .314 and slugging three big home runs. It’s also worth noting that over the second half of the month, Utley hit .333 and hit all three of those home runs in a five-game span. Here’s hoping that he’s catching fire.

Next: Dodger Bullpen Grades for May

Utley has also hit in the clutch, as he’s taken on the role of spark plug for the Dodger offense. It seems as though every time Chase gets on base, either via walk or hit, the offense starts to come alive. The “Silver Fox” will look to continue this pace, and hopefully, continue to provide that jolt to the offense all year long.

Final slash line in May: .314/.402/.571