Mookie Betts is struggling through a challenging season, triggering experimentation from Dodgers coaches. On Saturday, manager Dave Roberts granted him a mental reset with a surprise off day. The following day, Roberts elevated Betts to the leadoff spot in hopes of reviving his performance. Roberts believes this strategy will benefit Betts emotionally and mechanically as he seeks to regain his rhythm. Betts entered Monday with disappointing statistics, reflecting his ongoing battle with form and confidence as he works through a difficult process.
"Looking at how things are going, where Mookie is at emotionally, mechanics-wise, all in totality, I felt that giving him a different look in the lineup, hitting him at the top, something he's obviously been accustomed to throughout his career, will put him in a mindset of just [trying] to get on base and just trying to take good at-bats."
"There's a lot of internal kind of searching that goes on with the mechanics and things like that. But I personally do feel that the external part of it - hitting at the top of the order, having a mindset to get on base - I think will help move this along better."
Collection
[
|
...
]