Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers Manager Discusses How Long Team Will Continue Playing Struggling Hitter

Nelson Espinal|
Apr 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto (23) hits a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Apr 2, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Michael Conforto (23) hits a solo home run against the Atlanta Braves during the fifth inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Michael Conforto was available over the winter, and Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman jumped at the opportunity to add the veteran outfielder.

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The signing has not paid off so far, with Conforto slashing .172/.312/.287 and struggling to complement the stars in the lineup for the Dodgers.

The season is almost a third of the way through, making the sample size damming for the 10-year veteran.

He only has three home runs and seven RBIs, and the advanced metrics paint an even grimmer picture. Conforto has a -0.3 WAR and a below-average run creation number.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was asked recently if there is a point where, despite Conforto's track record of solid production, the Dodgers would stop treating him as a starter.

“There’s a point, yeah,” Roberts said. “Production certainly warrants opportunity. I do feel his track record has given him a longer leash, which he has earned.”

The Dodgers still believe that Conforto can turn things around, especially since he is still making hard contact and putting in work behind the scenes to get his swing adjusted.

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Specifically, the Dodgers are working on changes to Conforto's bat path, which Roberts believes is a key to any hitter having good production.

“So when you don’t have a good bat path, players seem to be where you’re hitting them," Roberts said.

"There’s a reason Freddie (Freeman) has thrown out 2,300 hits and guys like Derek Jeter have 3,000 hits. I think they’ve had good bat paths. That’s something I think that Michael’s mindful of and just continuing to work through.”

Conforto had a much better game on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians, where he went 2-for-3 with a home run, his first since April 5.

He will need more performances like Tuesday to get back in the good graces of Dodgers fans, who have been growing impatient, waiting for the Conforto that established himself as a productive hitter with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants.

More news: Dodgers' Dave Roberts Admits He's Anxious Regarding Shohei Ohtani's Pitching Ramp Up

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.

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Nelson Espinal
NELSON ESPINAL

Nelson Espinal lives and breathes sports. Avidly following of everything ranging from motorsports to Mixed Martial Arts to tennis, he is connected with most of the sports world at all times. His dream of writing about sports started at 16 years of age, writing for a Lakers fans blog, and his passions for sports writing has grown since. He has his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, and a minor in writing literature from the University of California, San Diego.

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