LOS ANGELES_The plan followed logic and the plan felt sound. On Friday afternoon, according to the plan, the Los Angeles Dodgers would recall outfielder Joc Pederson from the disabled list. As a corresponding move, the team would send top prospect Cody Bellinger back to the minors. The team would thank him for his efforts, wish him well and prepare to welcome him back later in the season.
That was the plan.
Steinbeck understood how those unravel, and so do baseball teams. The concept of stashing Bellinger in the minors looked curious when he hit two home runs Saturday. It sounded odd when he provided two more hits Monday. And it reached the point of absurdity a few minutes past 8 p.m. Tuesday, in the second inning of the Dodgers' 13-5 victory over San Francisco, when Bellinger hit a three-run triple into the left-field corner of Dodger Stadium.
It was the first of his career, and the crucial blow in a six-run rally that erased a four-run deficit. Two innings later, Bellinger hit a leadoff single to spark a four-run flood. His production helped Alex Wood survive a rocky five-inning outing and aided the offense in flattening starter Matt Moore.
The long season will test Bellinger's ability to sustain performance in the major leagues. But at this moment, as the Dodgers seesaw toward summer, his presence in the lineup appears close to vital. Bellinger has injected life into a club that struggled to gain traction on offense.
The argument for sending Bellinger back to triple-A Oklahoma City derived from the organization's interest in furthering his development. Bellinger will not turn 22 for another two months. Before he arrived in the majors, he had played in only 21 games above double A. The Dodgers do not want him to languish on the bench.
Except Bellinger appears capable of all three outfield spots, and has shown the ability to hit left-handed and right-handed pitchers. His natural position is first base, which he handled Tuesday for the first time in the majors. With the Dodgers pondering putting Adrian Gonzalez on the disabled list, the team could pivot from the plan to keep Bellinger around. Gonzalez has no interest in being shut down, even as he grapples with discomfort in his forearm and back. He came off the bench to deliver a run-scoring single in the sixth inning.
No decision would be made Tuesday. Instead, the Dodgers savored the contributions of the youngest position player on their roster.
In the afternoon, the team brought outfielder Franklin Gutierrez back from the DL. Gutierrez sat out 20 days because of a strained hamstring. Signed in the offseason to bash left-handed pitching, Gutierrez had looked listless in his first two weeks, then got injured. Even so, manager Dave Roberts installed him into the cleanup spot against Moore, an assignment that revealed the depth of the Dodgers' struggles against left-handers.
To make room on the roster for Gutierrez, the team optioned Scott Van Slyke to Oklahoma City. Van Slyke was hitting .129.
By the time Gutierrez came to the plate, in the bottom of the second inning, the Dodgers trailed by four runs. The Giants peppered Wood with well-placed hits to notch four runs in the top of the second.
Gutierrez hit a fastball for a solo home run, his first as a Dodger. The rally was only beginning.
The first six Dodgers all reached against Moore. Chris Taylor walked. Yasiel Puig singled. A walk by Austin Barnes loaded the bases for Bellinger.
Bellinger passed on a fastball inside and a changeup away. When Moore stuffed a fastball near his fists, Bellinger pulled it down the right-field line. The crowd erupted even as the drive went foul. Bellinger would not be seduced by sound.
When Moore tried a fastball away, Bellinger did not try to pull. He stroked the ball into the left-field corner and cleared the bases.
Wood reclaimed the lead on his own. He flared a single to bring Bellinger home. After Corey Seager doubled, a sacrifice fly by Justin Turner finished the six-run splurge.
The Giants scratched another run against Wood in the third. It was an odd night for him, in his first outing since throwing six innings of one-run baseball in San Francisco. He appeared susceptible to soft contract, yet still struck out eight. He would depart after the fifth inning.
Bellinger hit a 1-and-0 cutter through the right side of the infield and strolled to first. Moore proceeded to crumble. He issued two walks to load the bases. Into the fray came reliever Cory Gearrin, who drilled Turner with a fastball to drive in a run.
The hits kept coming. Gutierrez drove in a run with a fielder's choice. Puig capped the rally with a two-run single. He added another two-run single in the sixth.
