Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Missing Both Mookie and Cody, LA’s Next Man Up Mentality is Paying Off Early

The Dodgers are a little banged up in the early going of the year. Moving on from a 60-game season, the grind of a normal year is something the team has been conscious of in giving payers days off. 

Unfortunately, they’ve run into a few issues with health in the first week alone. The Dodgers came out of Spring Training without Brusdar Graterol and Joe Kelly ready to go. Tony Gonsolin was placed on the IL with shoulder soreness on Opening Day. And a calf injury to Cody Bellinger landed him on the IL and Mookie Betts is working his way through a sore back. 



Despite that, the Dodgers are finding a way to produce at a ridiculous level all over the field. While it speaks to their depth more than anything, Dave Roberts knows that every day, guys across the roster are ready to go. 

I just think it’s a mindset, it’s a lot of talent, it’s the way we prepare each day. I guess it’s just that next man up mindset. Obviously, you have a couple of really talented players down or one on the IL. Another guy in Mookie isn’t playing right now. But guys pick each other up. 

The absence of Mookie and Cody hasn’t been missed much on offense. The Dodgers have scored 18 runs in 4 games without the two All=Stars patrolling the outfield. While that number itself isn’t entirely impressive, the guys that have filled in have hit very well. 

The Dodgers have gone with Zach McKinstry and Chris Taylor on a daily basis and both have performed well. Chris Taylor has hit the leadoff and put up a .984 OPS with a homerun. He has also reached base at a very high clip and scored 5 runs. 

Dodgers Related: Clayton Kershaw Wants to Steal a Base

McKinstry has played decent defense out in right and come up with a few big hits in the right spots. If this is going to be how the Dodgers handle injuries throughout the season, teams around baseball are going to have a very bad time. 

Dodgers: Tony Gonsolin to Throw Bullpen But Still Experiencing Shoulder Soreness

 

4 Comments

  1. Even when everyone is healthy and ready to go, McKinistry is fast proving that he should be a mainstay on this Dodger team. He can hit big time, and play anywhere. He’s really fun to watch because he makes things happen. He looks like he’s got some Mookie in him.

    1. Even if Kershaw won another 100 games, Koufax would still be not only the greatest Dodger pitcher of all time, but one of the very best pitchers in the history of baseball. When Koufax retired, with an arm injury, he had just won 2 consecutive Cy’s and 3 out if the last 4 Cy’s. He was the gold standard of pitchers. Nobody in all of sports has retired at the very top of the game, like Koufax. Sutton hung around for a long time and piled up alot of wins, but he was nowhere near Koufax. Kershaw is closer to the Koufax level, but still not very close. I personally think Koufax was the best pitcher of all time. If his career had lasted longer, his career numbers would have been astronomical.

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