Dodgers: Dave Roberts Sees the Game Speeding Up on a Struggling Cody Bellinger
The follow up on Cody Bellinger’s MVP campaign hasn’t gone according to plan for the slugger and the Dodgers. Through 8 games, he has only 5 hits in 36 at-bats, good for a .139 batting average. Moreover, he has zero home runs and only one extra-base hit (an opening day double) on his ledger.
Understandably, it’s early. However, with this 60 game season, it’s gonna get late early. After Cody’s Friday night 0-for, manager Dave Roberts shared his thoughts on what struggles the outfielder may be going through.
I think it’s one of those things where it’s speeding up a little bit. You start to look at the scoreboard and you want to help your club and contribute … but he’ll be fine.
Bellinger’s change in stance and approach in summer camp made waves early. He said he made the adjustment after being unsatisfied with the second half of his season in 2019. Despite working through the shutdown, the shortened ramp up heading toward opening left him less opportunity to work through in-game action. As such, he still appears to be searching for the zone up at the dish.
Roberts continued.
He’s been doing a great job on defense, but I think at bat, you start seeing him a little bit going out of the zone and trying a little bit too hard. And even some of those borderline pitches, when you’re not going well, they always seem to go against you.
It doesn’t take a scout or even a well-versed analyst to see a little more of the struggles that Bellinger faced in his second season. The strike zone is expanding and he’s getting beat more often on fastballs up in the zone as well as offspeed pitched mix around in and out outside of the zone.
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Willing to give Betts credit for a good game last night. This Bellinger thing is concerning however. He has practically eliminated himself from MVP consideration this year already. Seems to be pressing at the plate and is in competition with the aforementioned Betts to be the top dog in the lineup.
Maybe Bellinger thinks it’s already October? He’s in perfect form for postseason.
Swap him and Seager in the line up until he gets it going. This is equivalent to a month-long slump in a normal season; what happened to the “we can’t wait because it’s a sprint” mentality? Roberts has a strange line up approach.
I mentioned during the camp games that Cody’s swing was likely tweaked to much and for wrong reasons and he didn’t look dangerous. He certainly looks far from dangerous and appears to being even more so with each at bat.
Guess Dave Roberts was praying for a mirracle to save him after managing his way to lose the game, the man is a terrible manager, he loads the bases for one of the hottest hitters? Only he could find a way to ruin Betts great game, this loss was all Dave Roberts, not the penn, not Bellinger.
Agree 100%! Note the D-Backs manager didn’t walk Bellinger in the top of the 9th to load the bases and face Turner who is hitting 100 pts higher. Dumb move by Roberts.
This article should have been about Dave Roberts terrible managing, we have great players.
Fear not. Alex Cora is available and will be at the helm next season.
He’s lining up his top knuckles. My coaches always stressed lining up your middle knuckles on the bat before swinging.
D.R ALWAYS HAS THE WRONG PITCHER @ THE RIGHT TIME & THE RIGHT PITCHER @ THE RIGHT TIME. WORST MANGER IN B.B. FIRE HIS A—SS AND MAKE BOB MANGER. SIT JOE DOWN LET HIM GET OVER ASTROS GAME. SIT CODY DOWN ,LET HIM THINK ABOUT HIS CHANGES. WHY WAS JANSON NOT PITCHING LAST NIGHT. THINK ANY OF US CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT D.R. WILL DO TO NIGHT TO LOSE THE GAME.
D.R.SAYS HE KNOWS WHAT IS WRONG WITH CODY, AND HE IS FULL OF BULL====HIT. IF HE KNOWS THE FIX IT. FUDMAN, IF YOU HAVE BALLS GET RID OF D.R. WHILE SOMETHING CAN BE SAVED. ANDREW THANK YOU FOR MOOKIE.