Andy Pages might have seen his last start in Dodgers' World Series lineup

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has shown an abundance of patience with outfielder Andy Pages. With the World Series now tied at two games apiece after the Toronto Blue Jays' 6-2 win in Game 4 on Tuesday, Roberts might soon make a difficult choice regarding his struggling center fielder.

Having slashed .272/.313/.461 with 27 home runs in the regular season, it’s clear why Roberts would want Pages' bat in the lineup. However, going 4-for-50 (.080 AVG) with no walks in the postseason has more than tried his patience. Pages has, at times, made sharp contact, but with very little to show for it. His struggles are even more egregious when considering his spot in the lineup, batting ninth, just before Shohei Ohtani comes to the plate. Pages’ inability to get on base has squandered numerous opportunities for the top of the lineup to score much-needed runs.

After going 0-for-2 on Tuesday, Roberts moved Enrique Hernandez from left field to center and brought in Alex Call to play left, replacing Pages. Roberts made a similar move in Game 3, moving Tommy Edman from second base to center while bringing in Call to play left field, pinch-hitting for Pages. While Roberts has already proven he will pull Pages from games, he has now suggested he might stop penciling him in as a starter. 

Is Dave Roberts turning the page on Andy Pages?

Roberts expressed frustration after losing Game 4, but stopped short of making any definitive announcement. He had this to say to reporters when asked if the lineup was going to look different in Game 5:

“I think so. I’m going to think long and hard, and it might look a little bit different tomorrow … Essentially, it’s am I going to play Andy [Pages], am I going play [Alex] Call, or am I going to play Miggy Ro (Miguel Rojas)? So, just kind of trying to think through all that stuff and net it out and see what gives us the best chance tomorrow.”

For the most part, keeping Pages off the field entirely has been a hard decision for one reason. Other than Pages, the only other player Roberts can rely on in centerfield is Edman, who is dealing with an ankle injury that could get worse if he is forced to play center.

Both Hernandez and Call have limited experience in center field. Hyeseong Kim has experience in center field as well, but has struggled heavily at the plate since suffering an injury in July. Before the press conference was over, Roberts didn’t rule out playing Edman in center.

With the Blue Jays matching them blow for blow, the Dodgers must get every ounce of production they can squeeze out of their batting order. At some point, if not in Game 5, it wouldn’t be surprising if Roberts made a change as he suggested.