“James Outman benched???” - Dodgers fans react to rubber match with Cubs lineup sans struggling outfielder

James Outman is not in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup as they go for the series victory. The lineup was shared and it has Kike Hernandez roaming center field instead of the former standout player. The other outfielders are Teoscar Hernandez and Chris Taylor, getting the starts as the team looks to capture its ninth win of the year.

The full lineup is as follows:

1. Mookie Betts, SS
2. Shohei Ohtani, DH
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Will Smith, C
5. Teoscar Hernandez, RF
6. Kike Hernandez, CF
7. Chris Taylor, LF
8. Gavin Lux, 2B
9. Miguel Rojas, 3B

Gavin Stone will get on the mound to pitch. Fans are reacting to the lineup, with many noticing the absence of Outman first and foremost.

"They said out to Outman," one fan joked.

"SEND OUTMAN DOWN," another fan raged.

Other fans couldn't help but continue to try and troll Shohei Ohtani over his betting scandal, though that situation is mostly resolved now.

"Is ohtani betting on this one?" one fan asked jokingly.

"I'm looking forward to Shohei Otani hitting a home run‼︎" one responded.

Those jokes likely won't go away any time soon.

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James Outman off to slow start in 2024

It has not been a very good season for James Outman. After bursting onto the scene in 2023, posting a 118 wRC+ and a 3.4 fWAR, he's seemingly taken a step back in 2024. Thus far, he's hitting at a 29 wRC+ clip, which is 61 points below league average. He hasn't been able to make up for it defensively, either, as he has an overall -0.2 fWAR.

James Outman was put on the bench for today

That has resulted in a benching, though some fans are calling for him to take some time back in AAA to smooth things out. The player he was in the past can certainly return, but fans don't want to see him work through the kinks in the everyday lineup.

It is also worth noting that it's only been nine games and a measly 36 plate appearances. Every single hitter in MLB history had a small sample size that went awry, so there's no reason to assume he can't bounce back.

For now, the Dodgers will just leave him on the bench. The rest of the lineup is still very strong, and fans are pretty thrilled with the quality and are hoping for a big win.