Dodgers Outfield Woes: Can Mookie Betts Stay at Shortstop All Season?
By Oliver Wiener August 21, 2025 19:50
The Los Angeles Dodgers face some tough questions this 2025 season, particularly revolving around their outfield defense and the positioning of superstar Mookie Betts. Despite growing bullpen woes and shaky outfield play, the Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts insists that Betts will remain at shortstop. But can Betts sustain his role in the infield, or will the team be forced to move their six-time Gold Glove winner back to the outfield?
Betts, the 2018 American League MVP, has spent the entire 2025 season playing shortstop for the Dodgers his first full season at the position. The transition has been demanding, both mentally and physically. His offensive numbers have slipped, posting a career-low slash line of .242/.312/.370 and an OPS+ of 90, which is below league average. Betts himself acknowledges the difficulty of the season. “I’ve never been this poor for this long,” he remarked during a lengthy hitting slump earlier this year. Yet, he remains determined, focusing on contributing to wins rather than personal stats. “My season’s kind of over... but I can go out and help the team every night to do something,” Betts said.
Defensively, Betts has been solid at shortstop. Through mid-August, he boasted a .984 fielding percentage with only six errors in 376 chances. Roberts remains confident in Betts’ infield play, stating, “Mookie’s playing at short, not bouncing him around, I think we feel very good about it.” Despite the Los Angeles outfield facing defensive struggles, including notable miscues from right fielder Teoscar Hernández, Roberts has resisted moving Betts back to right field. Instead, Hernández has remained in right, though his defensive performance has drawn criticism. Hernandez ranks 64th among National League right fielders and ties for fourth-most errors in that spot, contributing to recent losses.
Roberts elaborated on the dilemma: “There’s got to be an alternative, right? But right now, the way Mookie’s playing at short, we feel very good about it.” He confirmed that conversations about reassigning Betts to the outfield haven’t happened, even after defensive struggles by Hernandez. The manager emphasized that defense remains a key factor for postseason success, but so does the overall health and batting of the lineup, which Betts has helped stabilize as he slowly regains his offensive rhythm.
Betts' offensive resurgence has been modest but promising. In recent weeks, he ended a lengthy hitless streak with a multi-hit game and a home run. Despite a frustrating start to the season, Betts maintains a professional dedication to improvement, frequently checking in with Roberts and working tirelessly on his swing mechanics. Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw remarked on Betts’ effort: “Everyone notices how hard Mook is working... once he gets going, this lineup will get dangerous very quickly.” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is also closely involved, indicating the team’s belief in Betts’ continued vital role.
From a roster construction vantage point, shifting Betts back to the outfield would require other changes, like promoting infield prospects or rotating Hernández to left field, which is less demanding defensively. However, with injured players returning soon, Roberts might have greater flexibility in the coming weeks. Still, for now, Betts remains the team’s anchor at shortstop, a role he accepted mid-last season and committed to owning in 2025.
The 32-year-old Betts one of baseball’s premier defenders when healthy and a six-time Gold Glove winner, carries enormous value irrespective of position. But the physical toll of shortstop and its impact on his bat complicate the Dodgers’ decision. As the Dodgers push toward the postseason, the question remains: Can Betts sustain elite defense at shortstop while regaining his MVP-level offense, or will the team prioritize solving its outfield woes by reassigning him?
For now, Betts stays at shortstop, focused on helping the Dodgers win. But with the outfield struggles ongoing and his bat slowly improving, the Dodgers’ brass will have to carefully weigh the best path forward in the closing months of this season.
Mookie Betts’ 2025 campaign may be challenging, but his work ethic and adaptability give Dodgers fans hope as they navigate one of their most complex roster puzzles in recent memory.
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