Dodgers: Four reasons why the universal DH could be beneficial

4) Preserve the pitchers

As deep as the Dodgers lineup will look in 2020, the fate of the season still rests in the arms of their pitching staff. Rest the key word there.

There’s enough for Dodgers trainers to worry about in keeping the pitching staff fresh over what will certainly be a wild, compressed schedule if baseball is played this year. The DH at least eliminates one area of risk. The Dodgers wouldn’t have to lose sleep over a pitcher like Clayton Kershaw or Walker Buehler injuring themselves in a freak accident on the base paths.

The designated hitter also allows pitchers to remain focused on their routines throughout the game, rather than upsetting the rhythm of their pitching duties with a hitting assignment.

With the 2020 season expected to be played in less than ideal conditions, controlling as much of the game as possible will be a key task among players, managers, and trainers. Allowing the pitchers to rest between innings rather than putting on a batting helmet to take fruitless hacks at the plate would be helpful.