Analyst calls out Dodgers manager for Mookie Betts decision

"It's the big leagues and they're trying to win a World Series and you're gonna have a guy that's played a handful of games there in his career?,' Pierzynski said. "This is not the answer."

"Imagine when the season starts and Yamamoto's out there and he gives up a ground ball he thinks is a double play and they don't turn the double play and it leads to runs. It's going to be a problem," Pierzynski continued.

As noted by Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, both players were immediately put to the test at their new posts during the team's Friday's spring training game against the Cincinnati Reds. Both Betts and Lux had slight miscues (the former on a ground ball and the latter on a throw to first), but neither was charged with an error.

If Roberts sticks with the swap, they have less than two weeks to get ready for Opening Day. Los Angeles begins its 2024 regular season on March 20 against the San Diego Padres in South Korea.

Lux entered last offseason preparing to be the team's starting shortstop but tore his ACL in spring training. He's played 169 of his 266 career regular-season games at second base, 68 at shortstop, 39 in left field, six in center field, one at third base and one in right field.

Lux has a career .973 fielding percentage at second base and a .968 mark at shortstop.

Betts has appeared in right field for 978 of his 1,273 career regular-season contests, with 223 more in center, 100 at second base and just 16 at short. Prior to last season, almost all of the seven-time All-Star's games in the infield took place early in his career. All six of Betts' Gold Glove awards have come as a right fielder.

He played second base 14 times as a rookie in 2014, then didn't appear at the position again until 2018 (for one game). Betts didn't play second in 2019 and appeared there once in 2020, before suiting up at the post seven times in 2021 and 2022.