Dave Roberts isn’t calling it a slump anymore. The Dodgers manager publicly admitted on August 29 that the team’s offensive problems have been going on for two full months — and that lineup changes could be on the way. «I’m just trying to figure out solutions,» Roberts said, according to DodgersBeat.
The numbers back him up. Since July 1, Los Angeles carries a wRC+ of 91 — meaning the offense produces 9% below what an average MLB team would — and ranks 21st in the majors, tied with the Seattle Mariners. In August alone, the Dodgers are averaging just 4.13 runs per game with a wRC+ of 94 (20th in MLB). Over that two-month stretch, they’ve gone 24-23: barely above .500 for a team that opened the season as the heavy favorite to win the NL pennant.
The Names That Should Be Carrying This Lineup
The most alarming part isn’t the team totals — it’s who’s struggling. The players expected to anchor the offense haven’t shown up:
- Kyle Tucker is hitting .192/.267/.308 in August with a wRC+ of 58 — 42% below league average — and went 0-for-19 during the home series against Milwaukee.
- Freddie Freeman has zero home runs in August and a wRC+ of 77.
- Teoscar Hernández: wRC+ of 80.
- Tommy Edman: wRC+ of 80.
It’s not one guy in a bad stretch. The entire lineup is cold at the same time.
Roberts Tried One Move — It Didn’t Work
The most visible adjustment came on August 12, when Roberts slotted Freeman into the two-hole, right behind Shohei Ohtani. The logic was sound: Freeman was hitting .307/.380/.475 with 15 home runs and a wRC+ of 137 on the season at that point. But the offense didn’t respond. The Dodgers scored more than four runs just three times in their last 11 games through that stretch.
Why It’s Happening
There’s an identifiable cause. Opposing pitchers have been attacking L.A. with more fastballs for nearly ten weeks, and the Dodgers haven’t found an answer. The team’s slugging percentage dropped from .409 in June (18th in MLB) to .390 in July (21st). This isn’t late-season fatigue — it’s a team that lost a tactical battle and hasn’t been able to claw its way back.
The pitching situation hasn’t helped either. Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Ohtani (as a pitcher) are all out or limited, and an inconsistent Edwin Díaz in the bullpen has complicated games the offense has left winnable. The Dodgers dropped three of four to Milwaukee, scored just 10 runs in that entire series, and surrendered the best record in the National League to the Brewers — who now lead L.A. by 2.5 games in that department.
September Is the Real Diagnosis
The silver lining: the Dodgers still lead the NL West by a comfortable margin. But winning a title in October and limping into the playoffs ranked 21st in offense are two conversations that can’t coexist much longer.
Roberts didn’t announce any specific roster or positional changes on August 29 — no names, no concrete moves. But the fact that he openly admitted the problem has lasted two months says a lot from a manager who typically keeps things close to the vest. September won’t just be about chasing the NL’s best record. It’ll tell us whether these Dodgers can rediscover the offense that won the last two championships — or whether October arrives with the same lineup that couldn’t score four runs most nights in August.
Roberts has the pieces. The question is whether he has the adjustment.
