MILWAUKEE – Mookie Betts is excited about his return to right field, although he believes he has already shown he can do a good job as a shortstop, too.
The eight-time All-Star was activated from the injured list on Monday in Milwaukee to play right field and bat second for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He had missed nearly two months with a fractured left hand. The former leadoff hitter looked right at home in second, hitting a two-run home run to left field against Freddy Peralta with two outs in the third inning.
Betts had played primarily shortstop this season – a new position for him.
“It’s not like it’s been years,” Betts said of his return to right field. “It’s not even been a year. I still have it in me.”
Betts, who turns 32 on Oct. 7, said he will wear a hand guard for protection. He was injured June 16 when he was hit by a 98 mph fastball from Kansas City Royals relief pitcher Dan Altavilla.
Monday night’s game against the Brewers was Betts’ 917th career start in right field. He has made 98 as a second baseman and 73 as a shortstop. All of his starts as a shortstop and most of his starts as a second baseman have come in the last two seasons.
“I believe I can be a good shortstop, but I know there are some guys in our locker room who are very, very good at it – Gold Glove winners,” Betts said. “They have to get it taken care of. I think the best thing for me and the team is to go out there and play the right way.”
Miguel Rojas, who was activated from the injured list last week, has yet to win a Gold Glove but was a finalist for the award in 2020 and 2022 when he played shortstop for the Miami Marlins. The Dodgers also have Nick Ahmed, a Gold Glove shortstop with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2018 and 2019.
At the July 30 trade deadline, the Dodgers signed all-rounder Tommy Edman, a Gold Glove second baseman with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2021. Edman, who also has experience as a shortstop, has not played this season due to wrist surgery but just began rehab with Triple-A Oklahoma City. All-rounder Enrique Hernández of Los Angeles gives the NL West leaders another shortstop option.
The Dodgers are so comfortable with their situation at shortstop that they designated Amed Rosario for assignment to make room for Betts. The club acquired Rosario from Tampa Bay just two weeks ago for minor league pitcher Michael Flynn.
Although he praised Betts’ performance as shortstop this season, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also said that moving the 2018 AL MVP to right field was the right move, given the options the team now has at the shortstop and second baseman positions, where Gavin Lux has established himself.
“Mookie did a good job at shortstop,” Roberts said. “He got the balls and made the plays, I thought he did that really well. He just tried to get a handle on the different throws and angles.”
With their current roster, the Dodgers are best off with Betts in right field, Roberts said, “given the way Gavin plays second base and the way Miggy Ro has played shortstop and on offense.”
Betts said returning to the position he’s most comfortable in will also clear his head when he returns from his injury. He won’t have to think as much as he did earlier this season when he was trying to learn a new position.
“I said that my first year as a right winger,” Betts said. “I wasn’t comfortable. I had to deal with the bumps and bruises. I dealt with bumps and bruises for 10 years, so I know how to deal with it. As a shortstop, I went through that for two months. If you want to win a World Series, you have to be well versed in every position out there. I understand that. The only thing that really matters to me is winning.”
Jason Heyward has seen a lot of playing time in right field for the Dodgers this season. Heyward, 35, has a .204 batting average with a .288 on-base percentage, five home runs and 24 RBIs in 59 games.
Betts also moves down one spot in the lineup, allowing two-time AL MVP Shohei Ohtani to remain in the first batting spot. Before Monday’s game, Ohtani had posted a .280 batting average with 34 runs, 16 home runs, three triples and 37 RBIs in the two months since Betts’ injury.
Roberts said he wanted to have the right-handed Betts bat between the left-handed Ohtani and Freddie Freeman.
