The Los Angeles Dodgers made a shocking decision for Tuesday’s September call-ups, recalling infielder Alex Freeland from Triple-A.
Prior to Freeland’s arrival, all of the speculation surrounded outfielder James Tibbs III after manager Dave Roberts said the Dodgers were looking to call up a left-handed hitter. Freeland, a switch-hitter, still fits the bill, and will provide some depth in the middle infield.
Freeland last played for the Dodgers in July, returning to Triple-A after a disappointing couple of months. The Dodgers briefly demoted him towards the middle of May, and did so once again at the end of July. Through his 72 games with the Dodgers this season, Freeland has three homers with 19 RBIs and a .622 OPS.
What Will Freeland’s Role Be With the Dodgers?
Freeland’s role, just as it was before, will likely be as a backup infielder for the Dodgers. Tommy Edman has a similar skillset to Freeland, being a switch-hitting infielder, but Freeland could very well tap in for a struggling Mookie Betts at shortstop if need be.
The former top prospect’s numbers are much better against left-handers than right-handers this year, so he is sure to serve as a platoon bat for LA—very similar to his role towards the beginning of the season.
If Freeland manages to perform to the standard he did in the minors, though, he could carve out a bigger spot for himself with the Dodgers. He played 38 games for the Oklahoma City Comets in Triple-A, eclipsing his MLB homer and RBI totals with five and 26, respectively. He had a .787 OPS in the minors.
Why Was James Tibbs III The Favorite To Be Called Up?
While Freeland provides plenty of value to the Dodgers as a platoon bat, the same can be said about Tibbs. Tibbs came to the Dodgers last season in the trade which sent Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox, and he has torn up the minors since.
This season, Tibbs has 27 homers and 96 RBIs through 124 games in Triple-A, posting a .965 OPS over the course of the season so far. With Teoscar Hernandez’s ongoing struggles, a platoon out in left could have given Tibbs some MLB looks.
Now, though, Tibbs will have to continue working as he pursues his MLB debut.
4 Responses
This move does not make sense. He already proved that he is not an impact bat. If a spot on the 40 man roster is holding Tibbs back, then why not DFA Feduccia, Alfonzo or Knack. Seems like the front office does not want to make the necessary changes to make the team better.
We have all been frustrated this past few months, and the fan base have posted a lot of negative comments on what is wrong with players, field managing, and the front office. September has come upon us and the team should flush everything in the past and focus on the run to the postseason. Now is the time to start playing championship baseball and don’t dwell on negatives. IT’s TIME FOR DODGERS BASEBALL !!!
This is just my take, no reflection on any past comments. I applaud everyone for their concerns on our Dodgers.
This is more about a vote of confidence in Teoscar Hernández than anything else. This is the way the Dodgers operate, and it could be huge for Teoscar, who might go on a tear now through the postseason after this confidence boost. They could have easily demoralized him by bringing Tibbs up and platooning him with Teoscar. That might have actually had a worse outcome if neither produced down the stretch. I’ve also learned not to criticize Dodgers management after all their success over the past few years. I used to be a huge critic, but they’ve proven me wrong every time! What do we know? Go Blue! ?