Cody Bellinger wasn't happy about being benched for lack of hustle
The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a slow start, and Sunday may have been the first sign that frustrations are mounting within the club.
First baseman Cody Bellinger was not happy he was pulled for lack of hustle during the fifth inning of Sunday’s game. The 22-year-old told reporters he understood why manager Dave Roberts made the move, but said he always plays hard.
Cody Bellinger was polite but defiant: "I’m always hustling. It just didn’t make sense to me, but I get it, as well. He’s trying to prove a point."
Plus: "I don’t think anyone can tell me how to play. I’ve always played hard."
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) April 30, 2018
Bellinger was pulled in the fifth inning after hitting a double to right-center. The ball wound up in the area of AT&T Park known as Triple’s Alley, but Bellinger only reached second base on the play. When he came back to the dugout at the end of the inning, Bellinger was removed from the game by Roberts due to not hustling on the hit.
Bellinger disagreed with the decision, and explained why he only advanced to second on the play.
Cody Bellinger explanation for being benched: "I've always played the game hard, I took a big swing on the CB ended up on my knee and we're down 4 runs, I'm not trying to make an out on the bases trying to go to third."
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) April 30, 2018
Bellinger’s hit led off the inning. With the Dodgers down by four runs, he didn’t want to press his luck on the bases. The team failed to cash in on his hit, and left him stranded on second.
That didn’t persuade Roberts, who said he had spoken to Bellinger about effort-related issues in the past.
Dave Roberts indicated he spoke with Bellinger earlier this week about other instances involving his effort.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) April 30, 2018
The Dodgers wound up losing the game 4-2. With the loss, the team fell to 12-15 on the season.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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