James Outman crisis could force Dodgers to make tough decision – Orange County Register

LOS ANGELES — Time is running out for James Outman.

The second-year center fielder entered Monday’s game hitting .165 with an OPS of just .559. This has not improved recently. He was 3 in his last 28 games through Sunday with seven strikeouts in his last 12 at-bats.

With the emergence of Andy Pages, Outman was more frequently left out of the lineup against left-handed starting pitchers. On Monday, he was moved back to ninth in the batting order.

“I just think James is really struggling,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the decision. “He’s in between and I think Gavin (Lux) is a lot better at bat and I like him behind Andy.”

Roberts said Outman seems to struggle with “uncertainty with his mechanics, uncertainty with his approach, and when you’re in that situation, it’s hard to hit.”

Outman showed some certainty in his first at-bat Monday, belting a two-run homer 437 feet to center field. It was his first home run since April 9 in Minnesota.

As a rookie, Outman also struggled profoundly. He hit .165 in May with strikeouts in nearly half of his at-bats (34 for 79). But that followed a scorching April (a .292 average with seven homers and a .991 OPS) and was later washed away by another hot month in July (.309 with a .904 OPS ).

He has yet to have a hot streak, even approaching ones this season.

“I think to get hot you have to have some clarity and feel good about your swing and I don’t think he’s gotten there yet,” Roberts said. “I hope today when he takes his at-bats I see that he feels confident and he feels confident in his mechanics and his approach and he goes out there and compete.”

If there are no signs of improvement soon, Outman could find himself a candidate for a demotion to Triple-A when Jason Heyward returns from the injured list. The pages don’t seem to go anywhere.

“If he keeps playing like that, it’s hard to take him out of the lineup,” Roberts said of Pages, who started nine games in center field and hit .319 with a .903 OPS in his First 17 matches since his arrival. promoted from Triple-A.

“We have to win baseball games and giving guys leashes and opportunities is one thing, but at the end of the day, if you play the way he plays on both sides of the baseball, he earns the right to play.”

Roberts said demoting Outman to Triple-A to give him a chance to clear things up without the pressure of performing at the major league level was not being discussed — “not at the moment,” he said. declared. But he acknowledged that “a lot – or some – depends on Jason and his progression” in his return from a lower back strain.

“Right now, for me, it’s about going out there and trying to sort some things out, clear your mind and help us win a game,” Roberts said. “I’m not going to outwardly say that we’re having these conversations because we’re not, actually. But I just want him to have some clarity, start fresh today and get some good clubs.

KELLY EXIT

The Dodgers placed right-hander Joe Kelly on the IL Monday with a right posterior shoulder strain. This allowed Walker Buehler to be activated from the IL and make his first major league start since June 10, 2022.

Kelly, 35, has a 4.73 ERA in 15 appearances this season. He complained of soreness in the back of his shoulder after facing a batter during Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Braves. A CT scan of Kelly’s shoulder showed no structural damage, according to Roberts, and the Dodgers hope his IL stay will be short.

The veteran right-hander joins fellow relievers Evan Phillips, Ryan Brasier, Brusdar Graterol and Kyle Hurt on the IL.

HAYWARD PROGRESS

Heyward has increased his workouts in recent days and is “really close” to embarking on a minor league injury rehab assignment, according to Roberts.