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Struggling Dodgers outfielder thanks Dave Roberts for continued support
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- Struggling Dodgers outfielder thanks Dave Roberts for continued support
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Michael Conforto hasn't had the season the Los Angeles Dodgers envisioned when they signed him to a one-year, $17 million deal this offseason. Entering Saturday, the veteran outfielder carried a .187/.299/.327 slash line with nine homers and 25 RBIs, producing an 81 wRC+ and -0.5 WAR. Simply put, it's been tough sledding. Yet through the struggles, manager Dave Roberts has stood by him.
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"I think Michael is going through it," Roberts said earlier this week. "He's going to be in there on Friday, but I do think I've got to find some combinations to get some consistent production. That's just kind of where we're at this time in the season."
Roberts' belief in Conforto isn't unfounded. July offered a glimpse of the hitter he's been for much of his career, as Conforto posted a .273/.342/.485 line with a 131 wRC+ and looked like one of the Dodgers' more reliable bats. That surge was enough to keep L.A. from making an external outfield addition at the trade deadline.
For Conforto, the support from Roberts has meant everything as he tries to find his rhythm. "When you've got a manager who believes in you and keeps giving you opportunities, that's all you can ask for," Conforto said after the game. "I'm starting to feel like myself again this series."
Dodgers take first place from the Padres on Saturday
William Liang-Imagn Images
On Saturday night against the Padres, Conforto rewarded that trust, going 2-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning that helped the Dodgers jump out early in a 6-0 win.
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"Just seeing how he was in July, you approach the deadline and I thought the organization showed support in him as far as not trading for someone outside of the organization," Roberts said. "Hopefully [he can] build off of July."
Roberts, for his part, thinks Conforto's challenges aren't about ability but approach. "I like the aggressiveness, I just think he's pressing," Roberts said. "There's some uncharacteristic chase and then some uncharacteristic passivity in the zone, so that's sort of a bad combo. That probably lends itself to pressing, which is natural, because he wants to do well. He's in there working hard."
The Dodgers need him to figure it out sooner than later. Saturday's win pushed them to 70-53, moving just ahead of San Diego in the NL West. With Shohei Ohtani , Mookie Betts , and Freddie Freeman anchoring the lineup, Conforto doesn't need to be a superstar — he just needs to get back to being the solid run-producer he's been for most of his nine-year career.
"I've had many times to sit him, but I play him, and I think that it's still in there," Roberts said. Conforto agrees, and if Saturday was any indication, the timing couldn't be better for a turnaround.
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