Dodgers Team News

Dodgers: Roberts Wants Cody Bellinger to Focus on September Production, Not Season Struggles

It’s no secret that Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger has struggled with reverting back the MVP caliber player that fans became so enamored with a couple years ago.

The 26-year-old slugger is hitting below .200 with just 9 home runs and 32 RBI’s in 265 plate appearances this season. His slump, which is reflected by the inconsistency, low batting average, and strikeouts at the plate are all indicative of the peaks and valleys of Major League Baseball. 



Manager Dave Roberts, who was present during one of the peaks for Bellinger’s young career, said it’s a matter of turning the page, rather than dwelling on his past struggles. 

“I think the number one thing is a reset as far as where we’re at in September and make this his season,” Roberts said. “I think that when you try to chase numbers to salvage a season statistically, that can be hard and a toll. 

Roberts confirmed that the former NL Rookie of the Year is working “tirelessly” to get back to a similar level of productivity and restated that Bellinger putting his best foot forward will ultimately be key in his contributions to the team. 

The Dodgers skipper alluded to the huge catch that Bellinger made in center field during the series opener against the San Francisco Giants on Friday. 

“Even last night, we’re probably down a couple more runs if he doesn’t make that play in center field in the early part of the game,” Roberts said. “So just doing whatever he (Bellinger) can to help us win a ballgame.” 

Bellinger will sit in game two of the series against San Francisco but can be expected to contribute again at some point during a pivotal month of September for the Dodgers.

NEXT: Kenley Jansen Credits Therapy for Resurgence, Hints at Last Year With LA

15 Comments

  1. Somebody buy Cody Ted William’s book on hitting and make sure he reads it. Cody is not following the basic fundamentals on how to hit. Watch Mookie, Pujols, Taylor or any other decent hitter and there is no similarity to when watching Cody. If there is any disputing this watch videos of Cody’s hitting in 2019, When he was rocking it he looked alot different than today-but when he sometimes slumped-he looked like he does now.. Oh well.

  2. Hey DR, Cody Bellinger hasn’t swung the bat well since the first half of 2019. Do you really think he’s going to have some sudden batting epiphany over the next few weeks? Please wake up. He needs a lot of time during the off-season to heal his body and reinvent his swing. But the future is now. Even with Pollock going down, it is insane to play Bellinger. He is slashing at 170/244/313, and trending farther down with each plate appearance. He isn”t getting better even with these anemic numbers. He’s getting worse. Meanwhile, Beaty who you sent down to the minors was slashing at 262/358/374. Do the math. Bring Beaty back to fill Pollack’s roster spot, and play him on a daily basis until Pollack gets back. Please don’t destroy the Dodgers chances at winning back to back championships with your usual playing of personal favorites. Put the best players who give the best chance of winning on the field.

    1. Probably won’t happen. Our clown manager is stubborn and will play belli-dud as much as possible.
      If the clown wasn’t managing this year, we would be several games ahead of second place

  3. Totally agree with post that Beaty should be brought back – also agree it was a mistake to demote him
    In first place but in big ballparks like SF and Coors you need Bellinger’s defense (even though he is one of the worst hitters in baseball right now) what I still don’t understand is why the coaching staff does not make changes in Bellinger’s mechanics and approach – try holding bat at a different angle, try standing further away from home plate – try hitting the ball to left field don’t always swing for fences – in short when you are going this bad why not try something different?

  4. Agree with all of the above, especially the Williams book. While his defense is great, he’s almost an automatic out when his turn to bat comes. Losing Pollock and his production just sucks.

  5. I’m tired of reading about Roberts, the coach that FAILED Bellinger “The King of Pop Ups”.

  6. I love this quote out of the article.

    “His slump, which is reflected by the inconsistency, low batting average, and strikeouts at the plate are all indicative of the peaks and valleys of Major League Baseball.”

    Bellinger’s last peak was in 2019! His current slump is a valley! REALLY? It’s more like the Grand Canyon!

    As for Roberts, it is clear he’s been hitting the Kody Kool-aid pretty hard again.

  7. What exactly is Cody working “tirelessly” on? Whatever it is, it certainly isn’t helping any.

    1. I am going to send Robers a curly hair wig, a stick on red ball nose, and some oversized floppy shoes that he can wear in the dugout during each game. Then no one will be surprised at his managerial decisions.

  8. Seems like they need to sign him to a contract with a performance claus. He might be a flash in the pan.

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