Betts Takes the Lead: Shifting Dynamics in Ohtani's Absence

In a surprising move, manager Dave Roberts has decided to shift Mookie Betts from his traditional spot in the Dodgers' lineup to leadoff hitter, with Shohei Ohtani returning to his usual role at the top of the order. This change comes as Ohtani was absent for two games due to the paternity list earlier this year, and now that he has returned, Roberts is hopeful that Betts can find his form at the plate.

Betts had been struggling at the plate all season, entering Sunday's game against the Brewers hitting .241 with a .688 OPS. He had also lost 18 pounds due to a stomach illness at the end of Spring Training and fractured one of the toes on his left foot a couple of months later. Despite these setbacks, Betts has been working hard to find solutions to his slump, but so far, nothing seems to be clicking.

Roberts gave Betts the day off on Saturday as an opportunity to reset, which he spent doing extensive defensive drills before the game followed by hours of work in the cage. However, even with this extra time, Betts has been unable to find his rhythm at the plate. This is a process that Betts has never gone through before, and he admits that he doesn't know how to get out of it.

"I'm working every day," Betts said. "Hopefully it turns."

In an attempt to help Betts regain his form, Roberts decided to shake things up in the lineup. By moving Betts to leadoff hitter, Roberts is hoping to help him find a better mentality at the plate. According to Roberts, hitting with runners on base and building innings can be a key part of a hitter's game.

"Versus left, versus right, for the time being I'm going to hit Mookie at the top," Roberts said. "Hopefully it sort of lends itself to the mindset of just get on base and build innings."

This change in the lineup has been a welcome respite for Ohtani, who had been struggling in his usual role at the top of the order. In recent games, Ohtani had been slumping, and Roberts was hopeful that Betts could help take some pressure off him.

"Ohtani is no exception, but overall he's been very productive out of the leadoff spot," Roberts said. "Entering Sunday, the Dodgers' .991 OPS from the top spot in the lineup led the Majors, more than 80 points higher than the next-best D-backs (.907)."

The decision to move Betts to leadoff hitter has also given Ohtani a chance to focus on his usual role at the top of the order. In recent games, Ohtani had been struggling in this position, but now that he has returned from the paternity list, Roberts is hopeful that he can find his form.

"I think will help move this along better," Roberts said. "With hitting, it's so kind of nuanced that there's not always one cue that gets a hitter back to feeling normal. There's a lot of internal kind of searching that goes on with the mechanics and things like that."

The change in the lineup has also given Betts an opportunity to work on his swing. In recent games, Betts had been struggling at the plate, but now he has a chance to focus on finding new ways to approach his swing.

"Things that I used to do that would get me back on track just don't work anymore, so that's kind of what makes it hard," Betts said. "Pulling from new experiences, new cues, new things. Trying to find the right answers."

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Betts' form, Roberts is hopeful that this change in the lineup will help him regain his confidence at the plate.

"I personally do feel that the external part of it -- hitting at the top of the order, having a mindset to get on base -- I think will help move this along better," Roberts said.

The decision to move Betts to leadoff hitter has also given Ohtani a chance to focus on his usual role in the lineup. In recent games, Ohtani had been struggling in this position, but now that he has returned from the paternity list, Roberts is hopeful that he can find his form.

As for Muncy, who went on the injured list on July 3, Roberts said that he could return from the injury list "a couple weeks" after Betts starts in the leadoff spot. This means that the Dodgers will have to wait until at least August 2nd before Muncy can return to the lineup.

The decision to move Betts to leadoff hitter has also given the Dodgers a chance to study their lineups and find new ways to approach games. In recent games, the Dodgers had been struggling in this area, but now they have a chance to focus on finding solutions to these problems.

"With hitting, it's so kind of nuanced that there's not always one cue that gets a hitter back to feeling normal," Roberts said. "There's a lot of internal kind of searching that goes on with the mechanics and things like that."

The change in the lineup has also given the Dodgers a chance to work on their game plan. In recent games, the Dodgers had been struggling to find success at home against left-handed pitchers, but now they have a chance to focus on finding solutions to these problems.

As for Betts, he is hopeful that this change in the lineup will help him regain his form at the plate.

"I'm working every day," Betts said. "Hopefully it turns."

In an encouraging early return for the new 1-2 configuration, Betts knocked a base hit up the middle before Ohtani went the other way for a two-run blast in the third inning. The Dodgers' lineup as a whole has been slumping since Muncy went on the injured list, but with Betts at leadoff hitter, Roberts is hopeful that they can find their rhythm again.

Overall, the decision to move Betts to leadoff hitter has given the Dodgers a chance to shake things up in the lineup and find new ways to approach games. With Ohtani returning from the paternity list, Roberts is hopeful that this change will help the shortstop regain his form at the plate.