Thursday, April 3, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2025
On Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed the 2024 World Series MVP on the injured list. On Sunday morning at home, Freddie Freeman slipped in the shower and hurt his surgically repaired ankle. The Dodgers hoped he could return to the lineup on Friday night against the Philadelphia Phillies, but apparently, the troublesome ankle didn’t respond well to the flight.
So far, the Dodgers are undefeated, but they have some weaknesses. Kiké Hernández is playing first base in Freeman’s absence, but I would like to see Max Muncy play first and move Kiké Hernández to third while Freeman is out. Muncy is a Gold Glove-caliber first baseman. Muncy’s offense might improve while playing first base.
The center field is a question mark for the Dodgers. James Outman, who is in the minors, doesn’t have a major league bat. His swing is complicated. He was in third place in the National League Rookie of the Year after the 2023 season. Since the beginning of the 2024 season, Outman has been an automatic out. While he is a good defensive center fielder, he isn’t a major leaguer.
Andy Pages is not a center fielder, but the Dodgers have Teoscar Hernández in right field and Michael Conforto in left. Pages is going to cost the Dodgers wins with his poor defense, but the Dodgers hope Pages will hit. So far, Pages has a 120 batting average with nothing. The Dodgers need to demote Pages, but who will play center field?
The Dodgers can’t move Tommy Edman, who stabilizes the infield, something that the Dodgers need. Kiké Hernández would be a good center fielder, but he is needed. Chris Taylor is a good option for center field, even though his offensive production will not be a factor. Taylor won’t cost the Dodgers runs with his defense, and he can bunt or advance runners in scoring position.
The Dodgers have had great pitching even though Roki Sasaki, Blake Snell, and Tanner Scott struggled. The Dodgers’ pitching staff has a 1.97 ERA.. Ben Casparius, Jack Dreyer, and Kirby Yates have been great. The 2025 debut of Dustin May was remarkable. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow can compete with each other for the National League Cy Young Award.
The Dodgers are off to a great start, but they haven’t reached their peak. They need a good center fielder. If they want more offense, they might want to promote Dalton Rushing in Freeman’s absence. The Dodgers won’t have a perfect season, but they have the necessary fight to make the 2025 season memorable.
