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Dodgers’ slumping Miguel Vargas could see playing time cut

June 28, 2023

DENVER — The Dodgers handed Miguel Vargas the job as their primary second baseman with the expectation that he would eventually hit major-league pitching the way he hit pitching at every other level.

It hasn’t happened and Vargas’ playing time could be a casualty. With Vargas mired in a 1-for-31 slump and his batting average for the season hovering just over .200, Mookie Betts started at second base for the second consecutive game Tuesday.

“It’s a mental break more so than anything, to be quite honest,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, adding that Betts will make another start on the infield during the series in Colorado. “I had a great conversation with him (before Sunday’s game). I just wanted to kind of ease his mind, just continue to let him know how much the confidence hasn’t wavered.

“For me, it’s just going back to what he does really well and that’s to get hits. If we can kind of just simplify it to that and swing at good pitches and not try to do too much and not have to be a carrier and slug – just to get hits, I think things will start to turn. But I am really proud of the fact that the defense hasn’t been compromised.”

Heading into the season, Vargas’ defense was the Dodgers’ main concern, given his lack of experience at second base. But his play on that side of the ball has been adequate and improving.

At the plate, however, Vargas has gone in the other direction.

“I just think that once you start to struggle, you start to press a little bit, you start to try to get things back in one game, one at-bat. And then it just snowballs,” Roberts said. “It’s not just young players. Veteran players it happens to as well, but it’s certainly more magnified for a younger player.”

That struggle has been apparent in Vargas becoming more pull-heavy as the season has progressed. Finding his way out of a slump is not something Vargas is familiar with after hitting .313 in his four-year minor-league career.

“It’s the first time I would assume he’s ever struggled for quite a while with the bat,” Roberts said. “For Miguel, the thing that we sort of could bet on was his bat-to-ball, getting hits and then some on-base (percentage). I think right now there’s a little bit of some pressing. He’s in it. He’s grinding.”

MUNCY RETURNS

Max Muncy was activated from the injured list and returned to the Dodgers’ lineup at third base on Tuesday. Infielder Michael Busch was returned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Muncy said he knew his injured hamstring had recovered when he took live at-bats Sunday afternoon and ran the bases as part of the simulation.

“We were pushing really hard to get back. It was a minor thing but I think maybe because we were pushing so hard to get back it wasn’t fully healing,” Muncy said. “It was one of those things where we didn’t want to take a chance on something minor turning into something major. So a couple extra days and here we are.”

ROTATION STABILIZATION

Left-hander Julio Urias rejoined the Dodgers after his four-inning rehab start in Rancho Cucamonga on Sunday. He is penciled in to come off the IL and start on Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Urias has been out since injuring his hamstring during his start in St. Louis on May 18. Since then, the Dodgers have used four rookies in their starting rotation with mixed results (Gavin Stone, Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan and Michael Grove) and resorted to bullpen games on multiple occasions.

“It just stabilizes it,” Roberts said of the effect of Urias’ return. “He’s a world champion pitcher and an All-Star so to have him back in the rotation, I think he’s gonna come back with some vengeance. This year was certainly highly anticipated for him. It hasn’t gone the way we had expected. So I think he’s going to be on a mission.”

The Dodgers will likely go with another bullpen game on Wednesday against the Rockies, though Grove could be available to pitch multiple innings. It could be the last bullpen game for a while.

“That’s the hope,” Roberts said. “We’ll see.”

ALSO

Catching prospect Dalton Rushing was selected to represent the Dodgers in the All-Star Futures Game on July 8 in Seattle. Rushing was the Dodgers’ first draft pick last year (40th overall). He is hitting .263 with a .938 OPS in 48 games for Class-A Great Lakes.