MILWAUKEE (AP) — 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger was benched by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday after his output has plummeted since then.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Bellinger could miss the final three games of the team’s series in Milwaukee.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, “We wanted to give him a little bit of a reset. “He’s polished a lot.”
Bellinger batted .206 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs. He started in center field against the Brewers Monday night, going 4–0, where he had two strikeouts and had two hits in his last 19 at-bats.
Chris Taylor shifted from left field to center for Tuesday’s game, and Joey Gallo joined the lineup in left field.
Roberts hopes Bellinger can get over his struggles in time to help the Dodgers after September.
“He’s someone we rely on,” said Roberts.
Bellinger earned NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2017 and two years later earned MVP honors with a .305 batting average, 47 home runs and 115 RBIs.
He batted .239 with 12 home runs in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, and slipped to a .165 average with 10 home runs in 95 games last year.
“Not many people ascended that quickly in this game,” says Roberts. “So it’s not easy now after having to deal with some adversity over the past two and a half years. I just want him to know that we all support him.” ”
Roberts did not rule out using Bellinger in platoon situations if no strokes were found.
“At some point, we’re going to put people out there who will give us the best chance to win,” he said.
___
Other AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports