The Los Angeles Dodgers maintained their divisional lead on Tuesday with a win over the Cleveland Guardians. But with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants looming, they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas.
Recently, that has meant parting ways with two of the team’s longest-tenured position players in Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor. But as the Dodgers look to tweak their roster going forward, it could also mean a drastic move for veteran addition Michael Conforto.
After signing a one-year, $17 million deal to join the Dodgers, Conforto has slashed just .162/.303/.260 this season, prompting manager Dave Roberts to acknowledge that, at some point, he could stop receiving opportunities to play.
“There’s a point, yeah,” Roberts said of potentially benching Conforto, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “Production certainly warrants opportunity.”
With several depth options on the roster capable of playing the outfield, including Kike Hernandez and Hyeseong Kim, it would seem that Conforto’s production thus far hasn’t warranted the opportunity to turn a prolonged slump around. But Roberts added that he is looking at Conforto’s previous big-league career, not just his tenure with the Dodgers, in granting him a “longer leash.”
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“I do feel his track record has given him a longer leash which he has earned,” Roberts added.
Conforto rewarded Roberts’ faith on Tuesday with a homer and two hits. But he will need to produce more consistently if he’s going to maintain his role all the way through a hopeful Dodgers’ playoff run.
Roberts and the Dodgers can hope that Tuesday’s production was a sign that Conforto is turning things around.
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