Rookie outfielder Trayce Thompson has started 15 of 17 games this month — 16 of 18 if you include his impending start Wednesday night against the Cincinnati Reds.
As recently as eight days ago, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was not ready to make Thompson part of his everyday lineup. Now, it seems as if the jury has returned a verdict.
Thompson leads all Dodger hitters in home runs (6), RBIs (14), batting average (.315), on-base percentage (.393) and slugging percentage (.704) in May. His strikeout rate, once seen as Thompson’s biggest flaw as a hitter, is 16.4 percent this month — lower than that of Yasiel Puig, Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Utley, to name three teammates.
Here’s what Roberts said about Thompson today: