Dodgers News: LA Insider Optimistic About Jake Lamb-Trayce Thompson Platoon
The Dodgers are going to be without Chris Taylor for the foreseeable future. Losing an everyday player is never ideal, especially one who time and time again has answered the bell throughout the dog days of summer over the years. There’s no replacing Chris Taylor, but J.P. Hoonstra of The Orange County Register offered some optimism about the Dodgers utilizing a platoon squad of Jake Lamb and Trayce Thompson with Taylor sidelined.
Hoonstra cited Lamb’s strong performance since getting promoted from Triple-A (.837 OPS).
“Lamb, 31, was back in the lineup Wednesday with a right-hander, Jose Ureña, on the mound for Colorado. He began the day with three hits, including a double and a triple, in his first 10 at-bats.”
In a recent interview on AM570, Lamb credited his time in Triple-A with rekindling his love for the sport, which wavered after Lamb bounced from team to team after emerging with Diamondbacks.
“I was loving playing baseball again. I want to be in the big leagues, help this team win games, but for me … I really got that obsession back with baseball in the best way possible.”
Lamb figures to continue to get time in left field against right-handed pitching, while Thompson appears to be the go-to against southpaws. However, Trayce did have a clutch hit against a righty, Alex Colomé, on Tuesday night when he singled in Max Muncy to stretch the Dodgers lead to 5-2.
Hoonstra highlighted Thompson’s new plate approach in the context of his first stint with the Dodgers years ago.
“Thompson showed a penchant for power during his first tour of duty with the Dodgers, which was derailed by a back injury in 2016. He’s bounced around eight organizations since the Dodgers designated him for assignment in 2018. Now 31, Thompson has eliminated much of the swing-and-miss from his approach to become a better all-around hitter.”
Both journeymen now have the opportunity to succeed and help LA maintain their batting order depth.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube Channel yet? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, live streams, and more!
Dodgers: Watch Saweetie Throw Out First Pitch With Incredibly Long Nails
