When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs in January, they knew he was ready to be an everyday starter.
The problem was, he couldn’t play every day in L.A.
Busch is a first baseman and designated hitter, and while he is off to red hot start in Chicago, his name isn’t Freddie Freeman or Shohei Ohtani. He also isn’t a player that can be turned into an outfielder which is what the Dodgers needed.
The Dodgers, at the time, already knew that there wouldn’t be room for Busch: So why make him go through camp?
Now, the Dodgers are trying to prevent the same thing from happening with Andy Pages. He has more than proved himself in the minor leagues, hitting .371 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 15 games for Oklahoma City this season. He could have broken camp with the big league club but the Dodgers opted for the veteran platoon of Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernández instead and sent Pages to begin the season in Triple-A.
Pages made his major league debut on Tuesday night and singled on the first pitch he saw which already matches the same number of hits Taylor has through 35 at-bats. Coming into the game, Hernández had seven singles. His solo home run in the fifth inning was his first extra-base hit of the year.
“He’s a complete ballplayer,” Roberts said about Pages. “The head is good. The mechanics are good. He’s physical. So we just feel like, with the runway he’s gonna be given, it’s a great opportunity.”
The runway Roberts is referring to is also known as “not a platoon.” Roberts has been adamant about not platooning James Outman, and Pages will get the same treatment.
The rest of the outfield is completed by Teoscar Hernández, who has been a force at the plate, and Jason Heyward, who has been out with a back injury. The Dodgers tried to remedy missing Heyward with Taylor Trammell, but he went hitless in six starts.
Heyward opened the door for Pages but he has to out-perform his peers if he wants to stay.
“But really the driver is Jason not being around. That’s why we went out and got Trammell initially because we thought it was gonna be a shorter-term stint,” Roberts said. “But as each day passes, it just seems longer. So this seemed like a good opportunity to give Andy.”
Pages is in the starting lineup again on Wednesday playing right field and batting eighth. On Tuesday, he was in center field and batting seventh.
“I’ll try to get him in as much as I can to see what we have,” Roberts said. “He’s a complete player. A very heady player. He lives and breathes baseball. Very good defender. He’s got plus power.“And coming back from this really traumatic surgery he had last year, he’s been nothing but fantastic since spring training. We’re really excited.”
At this point, Pages can’t be afraid to steal someone’s spot. Baseball is a game and the best players will play regardless of experience. If Pages is L.A.’s best option moving forward, then he needs to be in the lineup instead of being sent down when Heyward returns.
The Dodgers can’t treat Pages like Busch. If they do, he could be gone soon, too.
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? Subscribe and hit that notification bell to stay up to date on all the latest Dodgers news, rumors, interviews, livestreams, and more!