When the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired second baseman Brian Dozier at the July 31 non-waiver deadline, it was with an eye on adding much-needed offense to the position.
Dozier represented just that, having led all second basemen in home runs over the previous two seasons. His arrival to the club was two years in the making, as Los Angeles vigorously pursued a deal for him during the 2016 offseason.
Despite a slow start with the Minnesota Twins, the Dodgers were banking on Dozier’s track record of turning it around in the second half. He initially stood out with his new team, collecting a pair of doubles and home runs over his first nine at-bats.