Dodgers: Position Battles to Watch Down the Stretch

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LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 08: Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers points to the sky as he crosses the plate after his second solo home run in the fourth inning of the game against the Atlanta Braves at Dodger Stadium on June 8, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Grandal Vs. Barnes

This was something that played out last September. The only difference here is, both players are playing very poorly at the moment. At this time last year, it was the opposite. Roberts was trying to find a way to keep both bats hot and in the lineup because they were both performing at a high level. Now he is using the same method, but he’s trying to find out whose bat will thaw out by October.

These two look like they are playing a game of hot potato with the starting catcher job. Nobody wants to hold it. In their last 30 games here are their numbers (Warning these numbers may cause sickness)

Grandal: .151 AVG/.275 OBP/.349 SLG/ 13 hits/ 33K’s

Barnes: .206 AVG/ .333 OBP/ .270 SLG/ 13 hits/ 25 K’s

Not exactly numbers a team would want from their catchers. Let alone a team in the middle of a pennant race. Somebody has got to step up and hopefully it is sooner rather than later. To add insult to injury, Grandal looks like he forgot how to catch a baseball. It has been a regular occurrence for him to drop a ball thrown from the outfield and cos the Dodgers a run.

Meanwhile, Austin Barnes isn’t exactly Yadier Molina back there defensively. He is still learning the position and though he is improving he does still need some work behind the plate.

The Dodgers have a real dilemma if none of these two players show up soon. This has been a constant theme for Barnes, he has been nowhere to be found all year. However, Barnes has been putting together some better AB’s in his last few games. With all of that said, Grandal always gets scorching hot and then ice cold, if he catches fire down the stretch it is his job.