It is not every day that a star gets shifted from his comfort zone; however, in Mookie Betts’ situation, that is exactly what happened. With the Dodgers looking for a spark during their longest road trip of the second half, the team’s manager made the bold call to push Mookie Betts into the leadoff role—thinking it would help the former MVP to find his rhythm. For 10 of the last 12 games, he led things off, while Shohei Ohtani moved down in the order. However, outcomes were mixed, and so were the reactions.

Over those 10 games, Betts slashed a 205/.289/.256 with just two doubles and two RBIs. The team went 5-5 in that span, and while there were flashes of improvement, the breakthrough never quite came. “I think he’s still not right mechanically, clearly,” Dave Roberts said back in July. “But I still like the mindset of being a table setter… to get that on-base percentage up.” By the time the Dodgers closed the road trip at the home of the Rays, Betts was no longer hitting first. Ohtani was back at the top, and Betts had slid into the No. 2 spot.

This is where the manager’s current statement comes into play. Roberts did not sugarcoat the truth; however, he did not bury Betts either. “I thought yesterday, in a vacuum, I thought he had a good offensive day… I thought he had good at-bats, I thought he squared the ball up,” he said, highlighting Betts’ performance despite the Dodgers’ loss. “Other days, it looks like he’s lost. I know he’s frustrated and obviously at a point now where he wants results, which I can appreciate,” he added.

Frustration is not unusual in the middle of a slump, especially for a player of Betts’ caliber. However, the skipper made it clear he still believes in his guy. Roberts praised his effort shown behind the scenes, saying, “He and the hitting coaches have been working diligently, consistently, intentionally.” While Roberts admitted the concern could be partly mechanical, the manager also highlighted the mental toll. “It’s sort of beaten him down a little bit, where I’m just trying to continue to instill my faith and confidence in him,” he said. 

Looking ahead, Roberts has not ruled out shifting Betts around the lineup again—or giving the star more days off. However, with Max Muncy still on the mend, Teoscar Hernández and others going through a tough time, and the Dodgers far from full strength, options remain limited. “I’ve thought about it,” Roberts said of moving Betts further down the order. “It’s a fair question. But not right now”, he added. Transitioning from lineup issues to trade deadline shake-ups, the Dodgers made another headline-grabbing move — this time, on the pitching front.

Dodgers get shockingly low grade for Dustin May trade

Just when the fans thought the Dodgers had settled into a solid midseason groove, they shocked some of them by parting ways with Dustin May. A former top prospect and two-time World Series champion, May was shipped to the Red Sox in exchange for their No. 5 prospect James Tibbs III and outfielder Zach Erhard. While it looked like a smart move—especially given the right-hander’s current struggles and the logjam in the Dodgers’ rotation—ESPN’s David Schoenfield was not impressed. His verdict? A lukewarm C+ grade, which quickly sparked debate among the fans.

So why the lukewarm review? For starters, May’s stock has fallen. Injuries have haunted his career, and 2025 was not doing him any favors with a 4.85 ERA. May looked more like a liability than an asset in the team’s playoff chase. The emergence of Blake Snell only pushed the right-hander further down the pecking order. As per reports, Roberts had already planned to shift him to the bullpen before the trade. That news makes the deal look more like, proactive roster approach than a desperate salary dump. Still, with only two scoreless starts this season and no real consistency since 2020, May’s departure looked inevitable, though not without controversy.

Looking at the return package, James Tibbs III could just be the sleeper resource in this situation. Despite a slow adjustment with the Red Sox (just a .586 OPS in 30 games), he had a powerful stretch with the Giants earlier this season and still carries upside. However, the 22-year-old Zach Erhard adds some improvement depth to the Dodgers’ outfield pipeline. It’s a smart hedge with multiple question marks surrounding their injury-prone roster. For the pitcher who had not cracked 11 starts in any season since 2020, such a deal could age well. However, for now, the critics and that C+ are not ready to crown the team as deadline winners.

Despite lineup juggling and a headline-grabbing trade, the Dodgers continue to bet on long-term outcomes over short-term noise. Whether it is guiding a frustrated Betts and parting ways with Dustin May, the management is not afraid to make viral choices.

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