The Los Angeles Dodgers have finally accepted they won’t tolerate Mookie Betts’ struggles anymore. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts yanked Betts out of Saturday night’s lineup and was noncommittal on when a return was likely. That’s good the Dodgers are finally making a move, but is it really the right move? Sometimes the best way to get through a slump is playing through it and there’s another alternative out there that could have helped Betts through it.
The fact that Roberts essentially said he’d like him to return as early as Sunday, but that it could be a day-to-day thing they monitor, sure says a lot about how the Dodgers are handling Betts' alarming struggles.
"I don't know how long it's going to be. It could be one night, it could be two. My expectation is he's going to be back in there tomorrow, but for me, it's going to be a day-to-day thing and it's going to be my decision on how I feel he is mentally to take on that night's starter,” Roberts said, per Matthew Moreno of Dodger Blue.
Yeah, that doesn’t sound optimistic. I guess since Roberts wasn’t going to change his position as the reasonable solution, the only other option was to take him out of the lineup completely.
Dave Roberts doesn’t sound optimistic about a Mookie Betts return anytime soon
Roberts doesn’t sound optimistic that Betts will be returning any time soon, which is a good and bad thing. The MLB season is long and the monotony of playing nearly every day can be a mental hurdle that affects your game, almost as badly as the physical part. Maybe Roberts doesn’t think a position change will suffice because he feels a mental break will be better.
If that’s the case and Betts does come back refreshed and breaks out of his slump, then this will be viewed as a turning point rather than a desperate measure, which is what it currently feels like. Roberts alluded to the decision to keep him out was more his own than Betts.
The fact that Betts was willing to fight through a slump that overshadowed the first half of the season means he knows the importance of not giving up. But the fact that he is taking this time means he’ll see the value in not feeling the pressure of digging out of his slump with each at bat.
Roberts doesn’t sound like he’s going to rush Betts back so hopefully Betts takes this break, however long it is, at face value and not mentally dwell on his struggles. Instead find new routines to clear his mind, refocus on technique and mentally work his way back first.
When Betts is mentally ready to come back, that will help him begin to improve his performance at the plate. If this doesn’t work, Roberts will be forced to go back on his own words and seriously consider moving Betts back to the outfield.