But over the last couple nights, Plan B has looked pretty good too.
asserted
B → look → nights
Whenever Ohtani returns from the injured list, the two-way star will likely reprise his customary role as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter –– one he has held since halfway through his debut 2024 season with the team.
asserted
he → return → team
Likely, however, was as far as manager Dave Roberts was willing to describe it on Saturday.
asserted
Roberts → describe → Saturday
Because in Ohtani’s absence, Mookie Betts has made a case to spearhead the team’s order, too.
asserted
Betts → make → order
Over the last week, a red-hot Betts has served as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter three times.
asserted
Betts → serve → hitter
In each of those contests, he delivered a vintage performance.
asserted
he → deliver → performance
Then, a 4-for-4, three-double, two-RBI, one-walk masterpiece in another 10-4 rout of the Giants on Saturday, a victory that lowered the Dodgers’ magic number to clinch a first-round playoff bye down to four with eight days remaining in the season.
asserted
that → lower → season
“I just think he’s physically in a better spot than he has been,” Roberts said after Saturday’s outburst, which pushed Betts’ season average up to .261 and OPS to .785.
asserted
which → think → .785
“The ball’s coming off the right way.”
asserted
ball → come → ?
Of course, Betts has been crushing the ball regardless of where he’s been in the order lately.
asserted
he → crush → order
Since Aug. 5, he is batting .336 in 39 games with nine home runs, 12 doubles, 31 RBIs and a 1.008 OPS.
asserted
he → bat → runs
It has marked the former MVP’s best extended stretch since early in the 2024 season.
asserted
It → mark → season
It has been a reminder that there’s still plenty of life left in his previously slumping bat.
asserted
It → ’ → bat
“I know I’m still capable of it,” the 33-year-old Betts said.
asserted
Betts → know → it
“I know it was in there somewhere.”
asserted
it → know → ?
Added Roberts: “It just doesn’t matter where you hit him, who he’s facing, [what’s] the situation –– he’s taking good at-bats.”
asserted
he → add → bats
Betts’ impact at the top of the lineup specifically, however, has been impossible to ignore over the last week; especially when juxtaposed with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Ohtani, who is expected back next week from right arm and left knee injuries but still doesn’t figure to be 100% physically.
asserted
who → ignore → injuries
That’s why, after writing Betts’ name in at the leadoff spot for a second-straight day Saturday, Roberts was asked if it’s still a certainty that Ohtani will remain in the leadoff spot upon his return.
asserted
Ohtani → ’ → return
“Yeah, I mean, I think that’s my first kind of thought,” Roberts said.
asserted
Roberts → mean → thought
“But until he gets back, or when he gets back, then I’ll kind of potentially read and react.”
asserted
I → get → ?
Much will obviously depend on how Ohtani looks, which will be the biggest question after a 6-for-52 slump leading up to his IL stint.
asserted
which → depend → stint
Roberts also cited other factors like trying to match up against either right- or left-handed pitching, leaving the door open to some game-by-game tinkering in October.
asserted
Roberts → cite → October
“I haven’t really thought too much about it [yet],” he insisted.
asserted
he → think → it
The way Betts is going, though, it might soon become a critical lineup-construction decision.
uncertain
it → go → ?
Or give the most at-bats as possible to the team’s hottest current hitter?
Granted, Betts hasn’t pushed to take over the leadoff spot, saying Friday that “I’ll hit wherever” and “there’s a guy that’s named Shohei that needs to be up there and to get us going.”
But if the Dodgers need to pivot among Ohtani’s ongoing ailments, he is quickly emerging as their best fallback option –– especially with their initial leadoff replacement, the switch-hitting Tommy Edman, mired in a brutal 2-for-39 slump.
asserted
he → give → slump
“Going back up there, it is fun,” Betts acknowledged, having played almost 1,100 career games as a leadoff hitter over his 13-year career.
asserted
Betts → go → career
“You do got to kind of prepare for whatever,” Roberts added, “and I just think that Mookie’s swinging the bat well, has hit there many times throughout his career, so it just kind of makes sense.
asserted
it → got → sense
For now, the Dodgers’ bigger priority will be making sure Betts keeps swinging the bat well, whether that’s in the No. 1 spot or somewhere else in the heart of the order.
asserted
that → make → order
His late-season surge has been one of the biggest reasons the team has survived Ohtani’s absence –– winning 13 of its last 16 despite the superstar slugger playing in just one of those contests.
asserted
slugger → survive → contests
It’s fun.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
But the main thing is doing it when it counts,” Betts said of his recent success.
asserted
Betts → do → success
“Right now, just keep laying the foundation, and then when playoffs come, just need it to show up.
asserted
it → keep → foundation
Still, given how things are trending at the moment, it might not be a surprise if the Dodgers’ first at-bat of the playoffs belonged to their streaking shortstop.
uncertain
bat → give → shortstop
“I couldn’t tell you that I saw this [coming],” Roberts conceded.
asserted
Roberts → tell → you
“But he’s got stronger.
asserted
he → get → ?
He’s worked hard on that …
asserted
He → work → that
And just for it to come together has been great.”
asserted
come → come → ?
The Aporia
