How Much of a Leash Will Andy Pages Get in Center Field?

Two weeks ago, there were no cracks to point out in Los Angeles. The Dodgers had stormed out to an 8-0 start, the best in franchise history since 1955 and the best ever for a reigning World Series champ. All systems go. No need for scrutiny. No need for worry.

But baseball has a funny way of reminding you that it’s a long season.

Now back home after a rocky East Coast swing that saw them drop back-to-back series, including nearly getting swept in D.C., the Dodgers have lost four of their last six and sit at 10-4.

It’s not panic time, not even close. But in a division where the Padres and Giants are off to hot starts and the D-backs are more than competitive, even the smallest blemishes start to matter.

Which brings us to Andy Pages.

The 24-year-old is entering his first full season as the Dodgers’ primary outfielder after appearing in 116 games in 2024. He flashed potential last year, hitting 13 home runs with a .712 OPS and earning a postseason roster spot where he delivered a .776 OPS in limited October action.

A solid defender with a cannon for an arm, Pages came into 2025 with a promising ZiPS projection: 22 homers, a 111 OPS+, and 2.7 WAR, with upside for more. The breakout buzz was real.

But the early results have been… uneven.

Pages is hitting just .171 through 13 games with 16 strikeouts. He’s struggled badly against left-handed pitching, a skill that was supposed to be a strength, going 1-for-15 with a .243 OPS and five strikeouts.

And while we’d never hang a single loss on one player, Pages’ misplay of a Bryce Harper fly ball in Sunday’s series finale in Philly loomed large in a late-game collapse. tCameras caught Pages visibly frustrated in the dugout. A day later, he was on the bench for a “reset.”

To his credit, he responded in a big way.

In his next two games back, Pages hit his first homer of the season, then followed it up with a clutch game-tying bomb that would help the Dodgers avoid a sweep at the hands of the Nationals.

Andy ties it up! pic.twitter.com/hEqya45BSW

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) April 9, 2025

A welcome sign. A reminder of what he’s capable of when things click. And yet, the very need for that early-season reset, plus the fact that the Dodgers do have other options waiting in the wings, raises a fair question: how long is the leash?

Holding Off the Dodgers Other Options

This is not an indictment of Andy Pages. He is talented and toolsy. But the Dodgers are not a rebuilding team giving a top prospect runway to figure it out. Plus, Freddie Freeman is now activated from the 10-Day IL after his freak shower injury, which means the rest of the lineup settles back into place. 

With the Dodgers being a win-now juggernaut in arguably the deepest division in baseball, they won’t wait forever to address a weak link, especially not with reinforcements just a phone call away.

And the depth is real.

James Outman, who Pages in part replaced last season, is in Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Outman had a rough go in 2024 but still finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting the year prior and brings defensive versatility and left-handed pop.

Eddie Rosario, a 10-year vet with a .748 career OPS and a legendary postseason resume (as LA fans know from the 2021 NLCS), is off to a hot start in Triple-A.

The Dodgers also signed Hyeseong Kim from the KBO this offseason, and he’s hitting .326 with a .931 OPS and offers super-utility flexibility with plus defense.

Then there’s Dalton Rushing, the catcher/corner outfielder hybrid who ranks No. 3 on Just Baseball’s Dodgers prospect list. ZiPS thinks he could deliver a 2.5 WAR season right now if given the chance. Recent trade pickup Esteury Ruiz led the AL in steals in 2023. Ryan Ward is raking in the minors with a .415 average and 1.000+ OPS. The list goes on.

None of this means Pages is on the verge of being demoted. But he is the youngest, least proven everyday position player on a roster stacked with veterans.

And unlike Chris Taylor, Max Muncy, or Enrique Hernández, who are all struggling out of the gate but carry years of Dodgers service time, Pages doesn’t have the same organizational cachet or contract security. If the Dodgers need to make a move, his spot is simply more flexible.

The key for Pages will be consistency, especially on defense and against lefties. If he can replicate the .917 OPS he posted against southpaws last year, or even come close, he’ll keep himself on the big league roster.

If he can make winning plays in the outfield, he’ll solidify his role. But if the struggles linger, and if the mental toll begins to outweigh the on-field production, the Dodgers might have to reconsider their alignment.

That’s just the reality of playing for a team with championship expectations and a minor league system that’s bursting at the seams.

For now, Pages keeps his head above water. He showed resilience this week. And the Dodgers will certainly give him more opportunities to grow into the player many still believe he can become.

But in L.A., opportunities are earned, and they don’t last forever.