Dodgers have been 'good' but not 'dominant' this season

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Dodgers have been 'good' but not 'dominant' this season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Los Angeles Dodgers finished the first month and change of the season in first place at the top of the National League West, with a 21-13 record. The Dodgers in April went 16-10 and batted .277 with a .818 OPS as a team, while the pitching staff had a 3.30 ERA and held opponents to a .214 batting average.

The worst thing to happen to the Dodgers in April was closer Edwin Diaz hitting the injured list with loose bodies in his right elbow. Diaz had surgery to remove the loose bodies in his elbow and should be back in the second half.

The Los Angeles Dodgers received a decent grade for their performance in April​

According to ESPN’s David Schoenfield, the Dodgers get a B+ for April and have been “good” but have not been “dominant” as some thought they would be. The Dodgers are the reigning World Series champions and are looking to win their third straight World Series.

More News:ESPN bestows Rays with a high letter grade for performance in April

“Good? Absolutely. Dominant? We'll see,” wrote Schoenfield. “The offense has run into a bit of a rut of late, hitting .223/.312/.301 over an 11-game span through Saturday's loss, a stretch over which the Dodgers went 4-7. And that includes a 12-run win. It's probably nothing; the Dodgers' worst 11-game stretch of hitting last season was a stretch in July in which they hit .197 with a .308 slugging percentage. Still, it's something to watch given all the 30-something-year-old players in the lineup. The other item to watch is Roki Sasaki, who continues to struggle with both walks and home runs. In the big picture, it's a minor concern given the Dodgers' pitching depth (and Blake Snell close to returning), but they certainly want Sasaki to develop as a starter.”

The Dodgers are getting healthier, with two of their biggest stars likely to return in May. Left-hander Blake Snell (left shoulder fatigue) and infielder Mookie Betts (right oblique strain) are trending to return in May.

Getting both back will bolster the second-best lineup in baseball (.271) and the second-best starting rotation (3.17 ERA).

More News:

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• Patience and not panic should be used with Phillies' Jesus Luzardo
• Giants' Rafael Devers is entering 'time to panic' territory

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