Before the All-Star break Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson was perhaps the leading candidate to win the National League Rookie of the Year award. His campaign took a huge hit this week.
Manager Don Mattingly announced on Sunday that Pederson lost his job as the Dodgers' starting center fielder to Enrique Hernandez, spurring rumors regarding his role with the team for the remainder of the season.
"It's just that time of year. [Hernandez] has been swinging the bat better. He's comparable defensively. It's just one of those things that we have to do at this point," Mattingly told Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. "I can't say it's going to stay that way if [Hernandez] goes in the tank or something. At this point, he has earned at-bats, and I feel like it gives us a better chance to win."
Pederson is batting just .163 with three home runs since the All-Star break after hitting .230 with 20 home runs in the first half of the season (89 games). His .293 slugging percentage and 29.4% strikeout rate since late July was also a big part of Mattingly's decision.
Tom Ley of Deadspin documents Pederson's downfall more in-depth.
"Has anybody in baseball had a stranger season than Pederson? His fall from NL Rookie of the Year Award favorite to bench bat has been a remarkably swift one," writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. "A .413 August on-base percentage couldn't save him from losing his starting job to Enrique Hernandez -- Pederson has simply stopped hitting the ball hard. Right now, it's difficult to envision Pederson quickly righting himself, especially if his opportunities are limited."
Hernandez is batting .295/.343/.494 with 22 runs scored, 6 home runs and 18 RBIs in 65 games (166 at-bats) this season after being acquired from the Miami Marlins in the Dee Gordon trade. If he keeps it up, Pederson might struggle to find playing time in September.
Perhaps Mattingly would have given Pederson more time to break out of his horrid slump if the team wasn't in the midst of a tight division race, as they lead the San Francisco Giants by just 1.5 games and the Arizona Diamondbacks by 5.5 games in the NL West. Although they're atop the division, it can be said the Dodgers are underachieving due to the talent on their roster. They're 9-11 this month and the Dodgers could have been displaced from the NL West lead if it weren't for the Giants' simultaneous struggles.
So how long will Pederson remain on the bench?
"I don't necessarily know if it's now or it will take until the offseason when he can really make true changes," Mattingly added. "But you can't just say, 'Hey, we'll wait until next year.' I think you try to go to work. He's been trying to do it, so hopefully they'll fall into place for him."
It's tough to determine when he might get back his full-time role, but Pederson has simply been slumping at an inopportune juncture of the season. The Dodgers can't afford to have someone in the lineup that is struggling to put the ball in play, especially with the analytical minds of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Farhan Zaidi sitting in the front office.
The Dodgers were well-aware of Pederson's flaws heading into the season. They've just accentuated at a time where it can drastically hurt the team's playoff chances.
