Dave Roberts: No Discussion Of Dodgers Optioning James Outman

The Los Angeles Dodgers are fortunate to have an upper echelon offense that can absorb multiple struggling bats on the roster. Namely, Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and James Outman, whose rookie year gave a fair amount of optimism that he would be a stable piece in the lineup.

But his success has not carried over, in fact, he’s been a mixed bag of sorts. Carrying an 84th percentile sweet spot percentage, Outman’s numbers align with a struggling player, batting .163/.260/.293 in 104 plate appearances.

Outman’s spot in the lineup is no longer a surefire deal as the Dodgers gauge where he’s at amidst his slow start.

“Uncertainty with his mechanics and uncertainty with his approach,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “And when you’re in that spot, it’s tough to hit.”

With rookie Andy Pages taking the majority of the everyday reps alongside Teoscar Hernández, that leaves just one outfield spot to contend with. Kiké Hernández is making strides and looking better and injured left-handed bat Jason Heyward is also gaining steam.

That could make Outman the odd man out with a trip to Triple-A to regain some of his groove on the horizon, but that isn’t yet on the Dodgers’ radar.

“Not right now,” Roberts said. “I think that some of it is contingent on Jason and his progression, which is coming along really well. So we still have some time.

“But right now, for me, it’s just go out there and try to work through some things, clear your mind and help us win a game. So I don’t think that, I’m not going to outwardly say that we’re having this conversation, because we aren’t, actually.

“But I just want him to kind of hopefully have some clarity and start fresh today and just take good at-bats.”

Looking back on his breakout rookie campaign, Outman displayed both lineup presence, and a strong power stroke. His quality of contact still seems to be there, but he’s undergoing a new string of problems, which Roberts deemed a different deal than anything he previously saw last year.

“Different, I think that it’s different,” Roberts said. “Last year when he was struggling, at some point, it was similar in the sense of the indecisiveness.

“And then at other points, it was just the swing miss, and then he kind of started barreling some balls and really got going. So right now it’s more of the former where I just see a lot of indecision.”

What is wrong with James Outman?

His rookie season feels like a world away from who the 26-year-old is currently. The Dodgers relied on his bat in 2023, when he finished in the conversation for one of baseball’s top rookies.

Outman’s issues currently stand in his at-bat quality and unfortunate strikeout rate. Currently running a 30.8% strikeout clip, he’s been rough when getting behind in counts.

When falling behind in counts, Outman is batting .095/.136/.190 with 20 strikeouts. But when he’s ahead in the count, those numbers flip to .333/.571/.556.