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The Los Angeles Dodgers are current owners of the second-best record in the National League. They have established themselves as a true contender led by a number of superstars. However, 9-10 in their last 19 games, the club could use more consistency outside of their big names. Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox is a potential trade target for the club, according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden.
Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Will Smith have all produced as expected. However, the rest of the Dodgers lineup has been struggling.
“The Dodgers are a top-heavy team,” Bowden wrote in a June 13 story. “The top five hitters in their lineup — Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernández — are all expected to make the All-Star team. But the bottom of the lineup has underwhelmed and could use an upgrade, especially with another outfielder.”
Robert, an All-Star in 2023, has played in just 15 games this season, but when he’s healthy, he is one of the best players in the league.
Dodgers Need Outfield Help
One of the few bright spots of the Dodgers outfield has been Hernández, who has 17 home runs and a .848 OPS in 69 games this season.
However, Chris Taylor, Jason Heyward and Andy Pages have not provided the Dodgers with enough. Taylor has lost a lot of his playing time due to his struggles. Pages is having a solid rookie season but may not be able to produce at his current rate as the league figures him out. Heyward, who has a .239 average in 29 games this season, missed time with an injury but cannot be relied on as a key offensive contributor.
James Outman who started the year as the club’s centerfielder was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City on May 17 after hitting at a .147 average through 36 games in the majors.
After investing over $1.4 billion this offseason, the Dodgers are about as “all in” as it gets. It wouldn’t be out of the question that they swing a big trade in order to meet their World Series expectations.
Injury Concerns for Robert
Robert played over 100 games for the first time in his career last season. This season, Robert went on the injured list on April 6 with a right hip flexor strain.
Robert returned on June 4 and has four home runs in eight games since. He signed a six-year, $50 million contract extension with the White Sox in 2020 before making his big league debut. He has club options in 2026 and 2027.
In 2023, he slashed .264/.315/.542, hitting 38 home runs and winning his first career Silver Slugger. The main concern for Robert has been his health. He has been placed on the injured list seven times since making his MLB debut in 2020.
The 26-year-old showed what he can do when healthy in 2023. If he can stay on the field now that he has returned, the Dodgers could use a bat like his in their lineup. Adding Robert to a lineup that already has Ohtani, Betts, Freeman, Smith and Hernández could bring much-needed production to the back end of the Dodgers lineup.
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