Who’s at shortstop? For Dodgers, it’s now Betts
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Mookie Betts is already switching spots in the infield for the Los Angeles Dodgers, moving to shortstop from second base.
Los Angeles planned for the six-time Gold Glove and seven-time All-Star outfielder to be the regular second baseman but shifted him to shortstop for Friday night’s spring training game against Cincinnati. Manager Dave Roberts called the switch, 12 days before the opener, “permanent, for now.”
Expected shortstop Gavin Lux has struggled, primarily with short hop throws to first base. The Dodgers moved the 26-year-old back to second base, the position where he made 153 starts over four years. Given a chance to be the Dodgers shortstop last year, Lux tore his right ACL while running the bases in a Feb. 27 spring training game and had season-ending surgery on March 7.
“Just to make this move right now, it’s something that the entire organization feels is the right thing to do to give us the best chance to prevent runs and to win baseball games,” Roberts said. “I think that, specific to Gavin, it gives him an opportunity to get to the other side of the diamond. … So to get him back over there, shorten the throw, it should be less of a toll on his body overall and give him an opportunity to have success.”
Los Angeles opens the season March 20 against San Diego, part of a two-game series in Seoul, South Korea.
Betts hit .307 with a career-high 39 homers and 107 RBIs in 152 games last season, finishing second in NL MVP voting. He played 107 games in right field, 70 at second base and 16 at shortstop in his 10th big league season. Those were his first games at short in the majors.
The strong-armed Betts was a minor league infielder in the Boston organization before moving to the outfield. He was the 2018 AL MVP as Boston won the World Series.
“It’s definitely a change. But it’s fun, too,” Betts told reporters before Friday’s game. “You can’t make it more pressure. It’s always a lot of pressure — especially going and being a Dodger, it’s a lot of pressure. So being a Dodger, being the shortstop for the Dodgers, is a lot of pressure. But I like it.”
Roberts said there was a conversation with Betts and Lux on Thursday about the move. The manager said both players signed off on the decision, and Betts described the talk as “cool.”
“This is something that I know he didn’t expect, we didn’t expect, but he’s excited about it,” Roberts told reporters. “And there are times he is gonna kick to second base. And I was very clear that might be a possibility at times, but to wrap his head around shortstop.”
Betts said it doesn’t matter where he plays; the goal remains the same.
“We’re all on the same page here,” he said. “We don’t care what happens. We just want to win. We don’t care how we really get there. The most important thing is winning. As for me, I don’t care. I genuinely do not care. I’ve said this a million times. I just want to win. You can put me wherever. As long as I’m on the diamond, I’m going to do the best I can do and we’ll see what happens after that.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
The San Diego Padres placed right-hander Michael King on the 15-day injured list Thursday because of left knee inflammation.
King (4-2, 2.81 ERA) had just come off the IL on Saturday, allowing two runs in as many innings of a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox.
It was his first start since May 18 as he dealt with shoulder inflammation.
Now, he’s back on the IL with a knee issue in a move retroactive to Monday.
It’s a setback for a red-hot Padres team, who will carry a five-game winning streak into a weekend showdown against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. First-place San Diego is one game ahead of L.A. in the NL West.
King had been scheduled to start the series opener Friday.
In the corresponding roster move, the Padres recalled right-hander Randy Vásquez from Triple-A El Paso.
While the Milwaukee Brewers keep on rolling, another Wisconsin business is stocking up on beef and buns.
For the third time in its history, George Webb Restaurants will make good on its promise of giving away free hamburgers as part of a longstanding promotion to celebrate the Brewers winning 12 consecutive games.
The free burger giveaway will be held Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT at all 23 of the restaurant’s locations throughout Wisconsin. Vouchers for a burger at a later date will be available at all locations starting Friday.
“Hungry fans are welcome to stop by any location for a free, juicy burger and some camaraderie with fellow baseball fans,” the restaurant said on its website.
Starting way back in the 1940s, when Milwaukee was home to the minor league Brewers of the old American Association, George Webb promised free burgers if the local baseball team won 17 consecutive games.
The promotion dropped to 13 games by the time the Braves made Milwaukee a big league city in 1953, but that franchise couldn’t make it happen before departing for Atlanta in 1966.
George Webb changed the promotion to 12 games when the Brewers moved from Seattle in 1970. In 1987, the Brewers opened the season with 13 wins in a row, and more than 170,000 burgers were given away to mark the occasion.
The Brewers accomplished the feat a second time in 2018, closing the regular season with eight victories followed by four playoff wins. That streak led to 90,000 free burgers being given away in addition to 100,000 redeemable vouchers.
Prior to reaching the magic mark on Wednesday, the Brewers had come close on a few occasions, including an 11-game winning streak earlier this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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