The Los Angeles Dodgers are searching for a left-handed hitter, according to MLB insider Bob Nightengale.
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“The Dodgers are scouring the market these days for a left-handed hitting bat off the bench,” Nightengale writes.
President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman won’t sit idly by as the trade deadline nears, and while the Dodgers have several needs heading into the summer, it appears the front office is concentrated on acquiring depth.
Dodgers left-handed hitters currently lead the league in batting average (.270) and OPS (.861). Hyeseong Kim and Dalton Rushing, both newly-promoted rookies, are a pair of lefties that come off the bench for L.A.
Kim is hitting .404 with two home runs, seven runs batted in and an OPS of .994. The utility man also has five stolen bases on the season.
Rushing only has 26 at-bats thus far, but is hitting .231 with one home run, seven RBIs and an OPS of .644. As Will Smith’s backup, the 24-year-old likely won’t get a ton of playing time, but he appears to be making the most of his starts.
The arrival of Kim and Rushing to the clubhouse has added a spark of youth to a Dodgers roster that was the oldest in MLB.
Now, the Dodgers may be looking to add a more seasoned left-handed hitter to their bench, an indication that another position player on the roster could be cut soon. The Dodgers designated Austin Barnes for assignment and released Chris Taylor in the span of a week.
If the Dodgers manage to acquire a left-hander hitter to add to the roster, another bench player could be in jeopardy of losing their spot.
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Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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