April 22nd, 2021 at 8:00 am 
by 0799291000348 In the last two weeks, the Dodgers have lost centerfielder Cody Bellinger and second baseman Gavin Lux to injuries, with both players placed the 10-day IL. Superstar outfielder Mookie Betts was sidelined for several games with a balky back and then took a 94.5-MPH slider off his right forearm, causing him to miss Tuesday’s series finale against the red-hot Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park.
Losing two players the caliber of Bellinger and Betts for an extended period would be a significant blow to any MLB team, and Lux was beginning to display the offensive potential MLB evaluators had predicted for the last several years.
Hold on, it gets worse. Over the same period of time, several of the team’s regulars have performed well below expectations as measured by their respective OPS (on-base and slugging percentage): Austin Barnes (.347), Will Smith (.392), and AJ Pollock (.573); and reserve Edwin Rios (.285) is far from the hitter the team expected for 2021 as the backup at first and third bases.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, their starting pitching staff is elite, and overall, the bullpen has been effective in preserving leads late in games. And the offense supplied by Zach McKinstry, Max Muncy, Corey Seager, Chris Taylor, and Justin Turner has allowed the team to maintain a record-winning pace in the first 18 games of the regular season.
(Video capture courtesy of SportsNet LA)
While the Dodgers can expect the offense to become more offensive with the return of Bellinger, Betts, and Lux to full health, Messrs. Barnes, Smith, Pollock, and Rios must also begin to contribute as expected.
For Rios to contribute offensively the team must find ways to get his bat in the lineup more frequently than occasionally backing up Muncy at first base and Turner at third base. Perhaps it is time for the Dodgers to return to a left field platoon, with Rios sharing the position with Pollock against right-handed pitching.
Look for the Dodgers to soon break out of their offensive doldrums, preferably sooner than later, with a four-game series beginning Thursday night at Dodger Stadium with their NL West rivals, the San Diego Padres.
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