LOS ANGELES — Since abandoning the idea of making him their primary second baseman last spring, the Dodgers haven’t really known what to do with Alex Guerrero.
They still don’t — but now he is forcing their hand.
Guerrero never made the adjustment to second base adequately on defense and has now moved into a utility role. But a 4-for-9 burst in two starts at third base with Juan Uribe sidelined has given reason to wonder if it might be able to wrest that position away from the 36-year-old Uribe.
“This is a guy who had a good year for us last year,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said of Uribe, who hit a career-high .311 last season. “You don’t just toss him aside. A couple games are not going to change what we’re trying to do.”
Mattingly emphasized Uribe’s value on defense, pointing out that he had just been presented with his Wilson Defensive Player of the Year award a night earlier.
But Uribe has started this season just 3-for-13 at the plate and Mattingly has admitted Guerrero looks far more comfortable at third base this year than he did at second base last year. Guerrero was primarily a shortstop during his career in Cuba.
But Mattingly said “nothing has changed for us” in how the playing time at third base will be allotted among Uribe, Guerrero and Justin Turner.
“We know there are going to be plenty of at-bats over the course of the season and we’re going to need everyone,” Mattingly said.
Guerrero continued his hot start Tuesday with a pinch-hit two-run home run, giving him eight RBIs in the past three games.