Dodgers' Trayce Thompson pounds 3 home runs vs D-Backs in historically powerful show

Adam Weinrib

Arizona Diamondbacks v Los Angeles Dodgers / Harry How/GettyImages

Did the Los Angeles Dodgers enter 2023 with enough outfield depth? Sure, James Outman seemed like an upgrade on the slumped-shoulder version of Cody Bellinger, but with Chris Taylor moving to the infield on occasion, would they have enough rotational pieces?

I mean ... there was no way Trayce Thompson could replicate his 2022 campaign ... right? Sure, his first season back with LA since 2017 was revelatory, but in September/October's regular season action, his average dropped to .208 (though he hit six homers in a strange mix-em-up).

Well. About that. Yeah, Saturday night's action made it perfectly clear that Thompson still has some additional stories to tell in Hollywood.

The Dodgers and Diamondbacks split the first two games of the 2023 season before Thompson ran roughshod in the season's third contest, powering three homers to back Clayton Kershaw's effort.

One came off Madison Bumgarner. One left the yard against Kevin Ginkel. And the third victim? Carlos Vargas, who made his MLB debut earlier this week. Something tells us he enjoyed his MLB debut more.

TRES THOMPSON! pic.twitter.com/kO6haaalam
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 2, 2023

Dodgers Trayce Thompson Three-Homer Game Highlight (All the Homers)

Uh, so much for forcing Thompson off the Opening Day roster, right? Jason Heyward got some run in garbage time of this one, but Thompson was the main event.

Obviously, hitting a trio of home runs in a single game is a rarity. But doing it in this fashion, with eight RBI to boot, is fairly unprecedented in the modern era. Nobody had replicated that stat line since Dodgers thorn Jayson Werth accomplished it back in 2008.

The only other 4-3-3-8 / 3-HR line in the modern era before Trayce Thompson tonight:

Jayson Werth, for the Phillies, on May 16, 2008 pic.twitter.com/GrnYQeyaVS
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) April 2, 2023

2008 Phillies, huh? That was a fairly good year for the Phils, right? Seem to remember feeling upset about it at the time, but hey, if this Thompson stat line portends good news, then no biggie! Water under the bridge.

The series finale is tomorrow afternoon, but Thompson probably doesn't have much left for an encore.

Then again, that's what we thought this spring.

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard and Dodgers Way for 4 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast twice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for eight years. Previously, he was a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.