The Dodgers could see a shake up in their middle infield following the All-Star break. As noted by The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, manager Dave Roberts recently told reporters that the club could consider optioning second baseman Miguel Vargas to the minors as he looks to correct his ongoing struggles, noting that “everything is on the table.”
While Vargas got off to a solid start in 2023, with a .240/.341/.432 slash line in his first 44 games, he’s been trending downward ever since then. Since May 21, Vargas has slashed just .139/.250/.287 in 129 plate appearances.
While a BABIP of just .158 during that time could explain Vargas’s woes, the 23 year old is also striking out at an elevated 24.8% rate, a major leap from the 17% rate he was punching out over the season’s first two months.
Of course, the Dodgers have struggled to find production in the middle infield this season. Those issues have resulted in the club using outfielder Mookie Betts up the middle more often than usual. After appearing in just 15 games at second base during his first three seasons in L.A., Betts has appeared at the keystone in 22 games this season while also recording 16 appearances at shortstop, a position he had never played in the majors prior to 2023.
Those depth issues could be alleviated somewhat in the near future, however, as Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the LA Times) that utility man Chris Taylor will be activated from the injured list following the All-Star break. Taylor, who has ample experience all around the infield and outfield, could add another option in addition to Betts the club can utilize both on the infield dirt and the outfield grass.
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