The Los Angeles Dodgers will option Alex Freeland to Triple-A when Mookie Betts returns from the injured list Monday, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic
Betts completed his rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City over the weekend, and most of the talk surrounding his return revolved around who would be sent down. The Dodgers had a few ways to go about their decision, also having the opportunity to option Hyeseong Kim back to the minors or designate Santiago Espinal for assignment.
Freeland broke camp with the Dodgers to make the Opening Day roster, and started the year off with a bang—hitting a double and a home run in the first game of the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Since then, though his offensive performance has tailed off quite a bit.
The switch hitter has a .235/.309/.337 slash line through 33 games this season, and has just two homers and eight RBIs through 98 at-bats.
One of the reasons why the Dodgers selected Freeland over Kim to make the Opening Day roster was his ability to walk, but he has been just about league average in terms of walk rate. Kim, who came up to the majors when Betts landed on the injured list, has just three fewer walks than Freeland in almost 30 fewer plate appearances.
How did Mookie Betts Get Injured?
The Dodgers placed Betts on the injured list during their third series of the season against the Washington Nationals.
Betts underwent an MRI after expressing discomfort and leaving a Saturday game against the Nationals, and it revealed he strained his right oblique. He promptly moved to the injured list, and slowly ramped himself back up.
The shortstop suffered a minor setback during his recovery, feeling some soreness after he begun taking batting practice on the field again, but still managed to make it back to the team in the 4-6 week window the Dodgers expected him to return within.
What Will the Infield Look Like with Alex Freeland Gone?
Freeland has served as the Dodgers’ first-choice second baseman this season, and with him gone the infield is sure to shift.
Before Betts’ injury, Freeland and Miguel Rojas split time in a platoon at second. Now, with Freeland heading back to Triple-A, the Dodgers will likely have Kim split the duties and form a platoon at second with Rojas.
Do you think this was the right decision for the Dodgers?