How much longer can the Dodgers tolerate these wildly underperforming players?

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Entering the 2023 season, we all knew it was only a matter of time before the Los Angeles Dodgers grabbed the NL West lead and ran away with it. At first, the Arizona Diamondbacks (of all teams) had the top spot, but eventually the Dodgers snagged it and it's now theirs.

This club has been firing on all cylinders, even as they endure their toughest stretch of baseball and continue to weather the storm with injuries.

Things have not been 100% perfect for the Dodgers this season, though. When looking at the roster, there are a few players who are certainly underperforming and, frankly, may not be long for the team.

The Dodgers can't continue to depend on these 6 underperforming players

Chris Taylor

It may be hard for some Dodgers fans to hear, but Chris Taylor is no longer the player he was back in 2021 when he made the NL All-Star team. The 32-year-old is under contract through 2025 and is unfortunately here to stay, even if his numbers continue to dip like they have.

To kick off the 2023 season, the super utilityman has experienced a crazy power surge (nine home runs in 43 games after hitting 10 in 118 last year), but that seems to be the only noteworthy thing he's doing. In 134 at-bats, Taylor has already struck out 49 times and has a batting average of just .213.

He's rebounded after the series against the Rays, but overall, Taylor's play is continuing a downward trend. At this point, he's becoming an expensive automatic out at the dish without any real end to his tenure in sight. And it's tough to say that his hot streaks make up for it given how few and far between they are.

Yency Almonte

After an incredible first season as a Dodger last year in which he posted a 1.02 ERA in 33 outings, Yency Almonte looks like a completely different pitcher this year. And not in a good way.

The 28-year-old righty has shown glimpses of promise over the course of his six-year big league career, but the wheels appear to be falling off for him this year. Oddly enough, he seems to alternate between solid and terrible seasons, and we are right in the middle of a terrible one.

Through 22 outings this year, Almonte has a 7.04 ERA thanks to 18 earned runs on 23 hits and 10 walks. He's struck out just 17 in 21 innings of work, which is another concerning number for him. Historically, he's much more of a ground ball pitcher than a strikeout artist, but his Ks are going down while walks, hits and home runs per nine innings are all heading in the wrong direction.

Unlike Chris Taylor, Almonte is still arbitration eligible and can easily be non-tendered at the end of the 2023 campaign, if he even makes it that far. His lack of minor-league options means that the Dodgers would have to try and pass him through waivers before either demoting or releasing him, but his cheap salary suggests that his loss would not be a massive financial blow for the team if that's the chosen route.

David Peralta

We realize how this is starting to sound like a broken record, but David Peralta has simply not functioned like a Major League Baseball player this year. The former Silver Slugger and Gold Glover has yet to get going at the plate or in the field, and is just an eyesore at this point for a Dodgers team with high hopes.

Peralta, 35, has not been consistently great with the bat across a full season of work since 2019 when he had an .804 OPS and 106 OPS+. He was decent in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and so-so in 2021 before returning to above-average-contributor status in the first half of last year. Once the Diamondbacks traded him to the Rays, his bat began to fall off and that has continued into this year.

In 41 games so far this year, Peralta has a pair of home runs, 11 runs scored, 18 RBI, a .218 average, .586 OPS and 56 OPS+. The OPS+ is especially shocking, as it suggests he has been 47% below league-average at the plate.

For reasons unknown, he remains a rather consistent member of the Dodgers' starting lineup. Perhaps this is because bench players like Trayce Thompson and Jason Heyward are not better options. Either way, a move might need to be made if this troubling trend continues for Peralta, who no longer appears to have his mojo on a big league field.

Miguel Rojas

When the Dodgers made the decision to bring Miguel Rojas home and acquire him via trade, his path to playing time was clear: he would function as an oft-used backup infielder while Gavin Lux would take over as the everyday shortstop.

Instead, Lux sustained a season-ending injury in Spring Training and essentially forced Rojas into a consistent starting gig. So far, things have not gone well, to the point where it's worth wondering if there's even a point in keeping Rojas around anymore.

Long known as a slick fielder who puts together solid at-bats, Rojas has yet to do anything at all with the lumber. Like Peralta, he experienced a major offensive decline last season and has seen this trickle over into 2023.

In 30 games, the 34-year-old shortstop has just three RBI with a .214 average, .507 OPS and 37 OPS+. He has been one of the least productive batters in the entire league and, again, like Peralta, is still being handed a near-everyday role in the Dodgers' starting lineup.

To make matters worse for Rojas, both Luke Williams and Yonny Hernández are both hitting the ball well for Triple-A Oklahoma City to start the year. Both of these players are shortstop-capable options who are on the 40-man and could conceivably swipe some playing time from Rojas down the line if he continues to struggle.

Trayce Thompson

When it comes to Trayce Thompson, the Dodgers are so clearly keeping him around in hopes that he begins to produce like he did for them last year. The outfielder made 74 appearances for the 2022 club and broke out, hitting 13 home runs with a 147 OPS+ along the way.

This earned him a spot on the Opening Day roster this year, but he has not come anywhere close to that same level of play. He's currently riding the bench and has not been trusted to have any sort of regular playing time with the club. Through 34 games, he has five home runs and 14 RBI with a .147 average and 79 OPS+ (and his numbers were far worse before he woke up a bit over the weekend against the Rays).

As is the case with Miguel Rojas, Thompson's future on the active roster is being pushed a bit by some minor leaguers who are off to hot starts in Triple-A. Jonny DeLuca, a 24-year-old outfielder, has 11 home runs with 28 RBI and a .275 average through 41 games split between two minor league levels. He's also currently on the 40-man roster, which helps his case. Elsewhere, Andy Pages (who was just recently promoted to Triple-A) has three home runs with 25 RBI and a .907 OPS through 34 minor league contests.

Noah Syndergaard

Noah Syndergaard is unfortunately another option fitting the whole "Dodgers are desperately trying to get aging players to start producing again" label. He was decent but not great last year for the Angels and Phillies.

Signed to a one-year, $13 million deal with the Dodgers, Thor is susceptible to a mid-season release if he can't turn things around, primarily because the club will not be on the hook for anything relating to him beyond this year.

Through 10 outings, Syndergaard has struggled mightily doing what he used to do best: strike guys out and prevent baserunners. In 47.1 innings, he has a 6.27 ERA, 4.51 FIP and 71 ERA+. His strikeout numbers are down from his career norms while he has allowed just under 11 hits per nine innings, which is a troubling trend to see from a player who was once destined for stardom.

There doesn't seem to be an easy fix for him, either, which certainly doesn't help his case. A look at his Baseball Savant page will tell you that he's clearly allowing way too much hard contact and virtually every single one of his offerings are being lit up like Christmas trees. For this former ace, a premature trip to free agency may be in the cards. There's just no room for a pitcher struggling this badly on a team that's eyeing greatness.

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