SAN FRANCISCO — If Kyle Tucker is going to find his way with the Dodgers, it won’t be as the No. 2 hitter in their lineup.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts dropped Tucker in the lineup on Thursday, swapping him with Freddie Freeman, who had been batting fourth. Tucker took a .233 average and .676 OPS into Thursday afternoon’s game against the San Francisco Giants after making 21 of his first 22 starts batting second.
“I think it’s more of just trying to give Kyle a different look,” Roberts said of the move. “I think that he’s obviously going through it right now and not feeling great at the plate. So sometimes, the different visual, letting the game come to you a little bit before jumping in there in the two changes your outlook and potentially the results.
“That’s kind of the thought, and I’m going to stick with this for the foreseeable future and we’ll see where it goes.”
Even with a three-hit game during the series in Colorado, Tucker was just 8 for 42 (.190) over his 10 games before Thursday with continued indications that he was feeling pressure to live up to the four-year, $240 million contract he signed as a free agent last winter.
“I do feel he’s trying to do too much,” Roberts said. “I’d like to think it’s not pressure-based, but the reality is that he’s scuffling right now. I definitely expect him to come out of it and hit, get on base and do what he’s done for many years. … I just wanted to change it up, and felt like it was time.”
Tucker won’t admit to pressure affecting him. He blames the lack of production over the first month on being unable to settle into a consistent swing.
“I think it’s more just me trying to find my swing, and trying to find the consistency in it more than anything,” he said. “I have had some good swings. Sometimes, I just get a hit because I just happened to get a hit. But just trying to find the consistency with my swing and do it day in, day out.”
Roberts agreed that Tucker looks “just not comfortable” at the plate and the lineup change is a way of “trying to figure out a way to get him back to being who he is, and the successful hitter that he’s been.” Tucker was 2 for 4 with a double in a 3-0 victory in Thursday’s debut batting fourth.
“It’s fine wherever,” Tucker said of the lineup change. “If he wants me to hit 1, 2, 3, 4, I don’t really care. I’m just trying to do my best to help this team win. So wherever that is, it is.”
REHAB REPORT
Other than some difficulty with slipping on the mound Wednesday night in San Jose, Blake Snell said “pitching again felt awesome.” He faced eight hitters for Class-A Ontario and threw 32 pitches in the first start on his rehab assignment. He is expected to make another start next week and build up to five innings and 75 pitches before coming off the injured list.
“My goal is to dominate innings, try to use the least amount of pitches as possible so that will push the end or I can go to the bullpen and throw,” Snell said. “The first two (rehab starts) will be a lot of patience and learning, figure out where I’m at. After that that’s when I hit the gas pedal and really go.”
Snell said he has had no more pain in his shoulder. He delayed starting his throwing program this spring due to inflammation in his shoulder. He is essentially going through his spring training process now.
“People say that. I just look at it as a couple starts to get ready and then pitch in the big leagues,” he said. “Yeah, you can look at it that way. I’m not looking at it that way. I just look at it as I’m going to pitch, I’m going to learn. It’s been a long time so I’m just ready to pitch. That’s so much fun for me. I can’t wait for the next one.”
Meanwhile, right-hander Brock Stewart moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City this week after making two appearances with Ontario. Stewart pitched a 1-2-3 inning for OKC on Tuesday, getting a groundout and two strikeouts.
SLOW START
After a 1-for-13 series in San Francisco, Shohei Ohtani was batting .245 with an .812 OPS – modest numbers for the four-time MVP. He hadn’t homered since April 12 – 10 homerless games and 43 plate appearances.
“It’s correct to say that I am not in the best position,” Ohtani said Wednesday through his interpreter. “It’s not horrible, but it is something I have experienced in the past, April being kind of like this.”
Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani might get some benefit from Freeman hitting behind him instead of the slumping Tucker. But the manager also said having his on-base streak snapped at 53 games on Wednesday might benefit Ohtani.
“I do think just getting past that streak is something that might free him up a little bit, so we’ll see,” Roberts said.
It didn’t Thursday. Ohtani was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts and Roberts said he has fallen into a bad pattern of chasing pitches below the strike zone.
“He’s expanding down,” Roberts said. “It’s just really hard to slug on balls at the bottom of the zone and that’s what he’s doing. If we can get him back at the belt and swing at those balls you’ll see the production. But, yeah, he’s expanding down.”
ALSO
As scheduled, relief pitcher Edwin Diaz underwent surgery Wednesday to remove loose bodies from his elbow. Diaz posted on Instagram after the surgery, “Now to come back stronger.”
UP NEXT
Cubs (RHP Jameson Taillon, 1-1, 3.97 ERA) at Dodgers (RHP Emmet Sheehan, 2-2, 5.85 ERA), Friday, 7:15 p.m., Apple TV, 570 AM
