Dodgers: 3 role changes we’d already make after four games

The Los Angeles Dodgers lost on Opening Day to the Colorado Rockies but were able to respond with three consecutive victories to win the series.

There was a lot of good in this series. We witnessed great starting pitching from Trevor Bauer, Julio Urias and Walker Buehler, all of whom recorded a win. There were some great hitting performances as well, most notably from Corey Seager, who reached base in 12 of his 16 plate appearances.

It was not great for every Dodgers player, though. Clayton Kershaw got roughed up on Opening Day behind worm-burner grounders and mistakes in the field, and Cody Bellinger got his first home run of the season taken away thanks to a joint gaffe with Justin Turner. David Price didn’t look too great in his official Dodgers debut, either.

It is hard to nitpick the Los Angeles Dodgers, but we would still make these changes.

3. Bat Max Muncy clean-up over Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger played the first three games of the season before getting the day off on Sunday. In those three games he batted clean-up opposed to sixth, which is where he batted for most of the 2020 playoffs.

Max Muncy spent most of the time hitting clean-up in the 2020 playoffs and the Dodgers should go back to that. Bellinger, while not getting help with his home run nullification, was not great in the opening series while Muncy saw the ball well.

This is more than just a four-game overreaction, though. Bellinger was cold last season and continues to tweak his swing. Fans should not want someone who keeps tweaking his swing to be hitting in such an important part of the lineup.

Muncy is a better run producer as it currently stands. He’s more likely to work deeper counts and had better numbers last season with runners in scoring position. Muncy had an OPS that was 65 points higher and he drove in 16 runs in 63 chances whereas Bellinger drove in 14 in 60 chances.

It’s a subtle change and it’s a first-world baseball problem to have, but Bellinger stranding 12 runners in three games is a good reason to move him down. The bottom half of the lineup would then be Muncy-Smith-Bellinger-Taylor-Lux. Still potent.

2. Keep Jimmy Nelson on mop-up duty

Jimmy Nelson leads all Dodgers pitchers in games pitched as he appeared in two for the Boys in Blue. Now, to be fair, this was done more in necessity as Tony Gonsolin was dealing with shoulder inflammation that landed him on the 10-day IL.

Gonsolin likely would have pitched in one of the two outings. Regardless, while Nelson is a great story, he should probably be reserved for mop-up duty for the time being.

Nelson has not pitched consistently since 2017 and signed with the Dodgers prior to the 2020 season while he was hurt. The Dodgers re-signed him to be part of the bullpen in 2021 because they seemingly still believe he can regain his nasty form.

The Dodgers are the best team in the league at finding projects and turning them into legitimate relievers. Nelson was expected to continue that trend.

But after a promising spring training, he was not great in his two outings. On Opening Day, he allowed a walk and a double to go along with two wild pitches that resulted in two runs scored. On Sunday, he was responsible for the only inning in which the Rockies scored.

Julio Urias, fresh off of seven scoreless innings, allowed an infield single to Ryan McMahon to start the seventh. Nelson was put into the game and it looked as if he was going to get the clean hold. He struck out the first two batters he faced before walking Chris Owings and allowing a double to Garrett Hampson.

Two runs scored. One charged to Urias, one to Nelson. He was then able to strike out Trevor Story, but that was one good Trevor Story swing away from being a tie game.

It’s a long season and he will find his stuff. He’s not all the way there yet, so for now, he should be reserved for mop-up duty whenever possible.