Dodgers Coach Set to Rejoin Team After Long Absence With Health Issues

Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) greets first base coach/infield coach Chris Woodward (84) before the game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Hitting coach Aaron Bates hasn't been with the Dodgers for the last two weeks for health-related reasons. Bates, 41, is expected to rejoin the team this weekend in San Diego.

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Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group reported the news on Twitter/X.

#Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates is expected to rejoin the team this weekend in San Diego after being away for two weeks for health-related reasons. While Bates was away, minor-league hitting coordinator Brent Pill assumed some of his duties alongside Robert Van Scoyoc.

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) August 19, 2025

Minor league hitting coordinator Brett Pill, part of the team's roving coaching staff, has been filling in for Bates in the meantime.

Bates was a third-round draft pick by the Boston Red Sox out of North Carolina State in 2006. He would go on to play five of his 1,077 games as a professional in the major leagues.

Bates is in his 11th season with the Dodgers organization. This is his third season as hitting coach after spending four years (2019-22) as the assistant hitting coach with the major league club.

Bates began his coaching career in 2015 as the Rookie-level AZL Dodgers hitting coach. He held the same position for Single-A Great Lakes in 2016 and with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2017.

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In 2018, Bates served as assistant hitting coordinator for the Dodger minor league system. In addition to his responsibilities at the major league level, Bates also served as the Dodgers' director of hitting for the minor league system from 2019-22.

Bates, who was born in New York and attended high school in Northern California, served on the National League All-Star coaching staff in 2021.

Pill, 40, joined the Dodgers' coaching staff in 2020 as the hitting coach at Double-A Tulsa. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the seventh round of the 2006 draft.

Pill made his major league debut on Sept. 6, 2011 with the San Francisco Giants and hit a two-run homer in his first at bat. After playing 111 major league games, Pill was released by the Giants in 2014 and went on to play three seasons with the Kia Tigers in the Korea Baseball Organization.

Pill came back to the U.S. in 2017 and signed with the Detroit Tigers, but retired after attending spring training before the regular season began.     

The Dodgers entered Tuesday's game in Colorado (where they scored 11 runs) averaging 5.14 runs per game (second in the National League).

In 2024, the Dodgers' offense led the NL with 233 home runs, and was first in the majors with 550 extra-base hits and a .781 OPS.

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