The Los Angeles Dodgers watched two of their third basemen go down with injuries on Saturday. First Justin Turner left the game with a gashed finger and then Juan Uribe exited with hamstring tightness. This opened the door for Alex Guerrero, who got his first MLB start on Sunday.
Guerrero helped the Dodgers avoid the sweep during their three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He went 3-for-5 with one run scored, a home run and four RBIs to help the Dodgers to a 7-4 victory in Arizona, further proving why he deserved a spot on the team's 25-man roster.
The 28-year-old had a clause in his contract that gave him final say over whether the team could send him down to the minor leagues to start the 2015 season. Guerrero is primarily a middle infielder, and with Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins coming over to Los Angeles via trades in the offseason, his situation was difficult for the team. As a result, they gave him some reps at third base and he made progress at the new position.
However, he hadn't gotten any playing time up until Saturday because the team is "still a bit concerned with his ability to play third base," according to Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Dodgers can't be blamed for their concerns because the transition is much too recent and third base is an important defensive position where Turner and Uribe have had much more experience.
But Guerrero went 4-for-4 on his defensive chances in 12 1/3 innings of work on top of showing his capabilities on offense.
It's clear he doesn't belong in Triple-A since he dominated the competition in 65 games last season and batted .329/.364/.613 with 38 runs scored, 15 home runs and 49 RBIs. He was also one of the most skilled offensive players in Cuba's Serie Nacional from 2008-2011 before defecting and seeking an MLB contract. However, he'll have to further prove he can be consistent at the plate and in the field in the short time he has, being that the Dodgers don't think Turner or Uribe will miss significant time.
"When the Dodgers' new front office gave up the power of Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez, added contact-hitting players like Howie Kendrick and Jimmy Rollins, and tinkered like crazy at the fringes of the roster, this was the kind of depth they envisioned," adds Saxon.
"But they hadn't seen much of it in the first five games. The Dodgers were hitting .233 and they got shut out by Arizona's promising young right-hander, Archie Bradley, Saturday night."
But the young cast of Guerrero, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson changed that on Sunday.
Perhaps Guerrero could provide a balanced offensive boost for the Dodgers and become the top option at the hot corner. After all, Uribe will be a free agent after this season and Turner will be due for a raise as he enters his first year of arbitration eligibility.
Guerrero is still owed a majority of the $28 million he signed on for prior to last season, so he could be their guy for the next few seasons if he can continue to perform.
