Dodgers: Matt Kemp Struggling as the Competition Heats Up

Matt Kemp’s 2018 season has been an ever-changing one with the Dodgers. He began this year, after being traded back to his first major league team, as potential trade bait hoping to be in the Dodgers’ deep outfield rotation.

Kemp then proceeded to go on a tear through Spring Training and into May, where he had more than a .340 batting average. After struggling in June, Kemp had a minor bounce-back at the beginning of July but has been abysmal over his recent stretch of games.

Over the last four weeks, Kemp slashed .188/.269/.290, all well below his season averages of .275/.320/.472. He hasn’t hit a home run in the last two weeks and, in those last two weeks, is batting 2-26.

With the deadline additions of Brian Dozier and Manny Machado, the Dodgers infield now finds some of its members transition to the outfield. Kiké Hernandez has been getting less time at shortstop, and second, Cody Bellinger has moved more to center field to hide Max Muncy’s defense at first, and this is all happening at a time where Justin Turner is becoming his 2017 self.

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Joc Pederson, the player Kemp has been most fighting against for playing time, is starting to trend upwards as the season progresses. His batting average has not hit .290 at any month of the year but provides instant offense with his uppercut home runs, which is how Muncy has played as often as he has.

The Dodgers have six total options for the outfield: Kemp, Pederson, Bellinger, Hernandez, Chris Taylor, and Yasiel Puig. Hernandez seems to be best suited for a platoon role, so him as a start takes a lot of versatility the team can mess with.

Puig seems to be a steady constant in right, and Taylor will play center as long as Muncy is out of the line-up. The biggest battle is for left field, and unless Andrew Toles starts slugging balls in AAA, it seems like time will be split between the Matt and Joc.

Roberts, known for sticking to the numbers, seems to play off the opposing pitcher: if the pitcher is right-handed, Pederson starts; left-handers get to deal with Kemp. It’s not a bad philosophy to have, seeing as how the Dodgers are among the best NL teams, but as the postseason creeps closer, hitters like to know when and where they will be playing.

If either hitter wants to be the main starter heading into the fall months of play, they have just two months to do so.