The Dodgers face a defensive recalibration after a 4-3 walk-off loss to Colorado. Mookie Betts was back at shortstop on Tuesday, with Teoscar Hernández staying in right, as LA reassesses its infield-outfield balance. A postgame meeting among Roberts, Friedman, and Betts underscored Betts’s openness to returning to right field, a move that could stabilize the defense but might dampen his bat. Hernández’s defensive struggles — two errors and a -0.4 DEF WAR that ranks 64th among NL right fielders — continue to loom large over the lineup. If Betts slides back to the outfield, Freeland or Miguel Rojas would slide into short, while Hernández would shift to left to accommodate Conforto at the plate, whose current .190/.?/.? marks are the worst among players with at least 300 ABs. With utility options like Edman, Kim, and Kiké Hernández nearing returns from the IL, Roberts has built-in depth to mix and match as the season wears on.

Defensive efficiency could determine whether the Dodgers lean into stability or go for upside. Betts’s move to infield responsibilities has punished offense and increased mental load, making a balance between fielding and hitting crucial for postseason chances. The road ahead includes a rehab cadence for Kim, potentially back by early next week, which would ease rostering pressure and expand Roberts’s short-term options. The larger strategic question is whether the lineup can sustain offense while the defense stabilizes, especially if Hernández’s right-field performance remains a liability.

In this moment, the Dodgers are betting that a defensively steadier infield—whether Freeland, Rojas, or Hernández swapping to the outfield—will unlock Betts’s better-than-career hitting ability and keep Conforto from getting overwhelmed in a deteriorating batting average. The backstop on defense is clear, the backstop on offense is still improving, and the balancing act continues as managers and front office weigh risk and reward as the calendar turns toward late spring and the postseason horizon.

Clayton Kershaw, at 37 with a battered body, anchored the Dodgers in a tense win over the Padres, six innings of two hits and one run lifting Los Angeles into a first-place NL West tie. He spat through trouble, set the tone for a series that matters down the stretch, and stayed in the middle of the postseason rotation chatter with a 7-2 mark and a 3.01 ERA.

Los Angeles rode defensive plays at the corners and a late bullpen save to seal it, with Kershaw delivering the kind of big-game calm that fantasy managers crave in frontline starters. The win also underscored the Dodgers’ plan to protect their veteran by keeping him on a measured leash as October approaches.

Padres star power supplied the drama: Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado featured prominently, and Ramon Laureano’s long homer for San Diego was a rare bright spot amid a series that added a fresh chapter to the West’s roiling rivalry. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández contributed on the Dodgers’ side, with Hernández delivering a seventh-inning homer that proved decisive, while Laureano’s curveball-miss kept the tension high.

In a wider sense, this opener reestablished old-school baseball energy: pitching, defense, and competitive edge. It set the tone for a brutal two-week stretch where the Dodgers and Padres collide six times, each win carrying postseason vibes and fantasy implications as Kershaw and his peers navigate a crowded playoff race.

Dodgers spring tale repeats a familiar refrain: championship glow masking a harsh reality. Injuries, especially to the pitching staff, have bled into the lineup, and the offense that led the majors early in the season has cooled in the past six weeks. On pace for roughly 92 wins and clinging to a one-game edge in the NL West, Los Angeles faces a reminder that last year’s surge wasn’t a straight line to another title.

In the Freeway Series opener, Yoshinobu Yamamoto labored, surrendering a first-pitch homer to Neto and slipping into a 4⅔-inning, six-run pull that underscored the rotation’s fragility. The offense never found rhythm against Soriano, managing just two hits through six. Ohtani and Muncy finally broken through in the eighth with blasts, but the comeback came too late as the Angels swept. Momentum has swung, Padres are surging, and the Dodgers’ path to repeat looks harder but not implausible.

The club’s last 48 hours encapsulate the season: a stinging setback, a reminder that last year’s late run wasn’t guaranteed, and a blueprint—pitching depth and timely hitting—still within reach. With two months left, the Dodgers can still chase another World Series, but fantasy managers should monitor rotation health, bullpen stability, and emerging roles, like Freeland’s potential call-up, as the race tightens.

Mookie Betts, the star shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is facing unprecedented struggles in the 2025 season after transitioning from the outfield. Previously a dynamic player, Betts's batting average has plummeted to .237 with a .678 OPS, marking the lowest performance of his career. His decline can be traced back to a mysterious illness during spring training that affected his preparation.

In light of Betts's struggles, the Dodgers have called up top prospect Alex Freeland, who plays shortstop, sparking fan debates about returning Betts to the outfield where he previously excelled defensively. With the Dodgers in pursuit of winning another championship, the decision on positioning could be crucial for their playoff aspirations.