Roberts benched Bellinger for lack of hustle on double

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted to benching Cody Bellinger for not hustling on a double he hit in the top of the fifth inning on Sunday.

"There's certain expectations about the way we play the game. When you don’t abide by that, we’ll get somebody in there who will," Roberts told Andy McCullough of the Los Angeles Times after a 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants that dropped the Dodgers to a 12-15 record.

According to McCullough, Roberts said he spoke to Bellinger earlier in the week in regard to his effort.

It was initially thought Bellinger was lifted due to injury but the Dodgers skipper put those concerns to rest. After ripping a single in his first at-bat, Bellinger would get a hold of an offering from Giants starter Ty Blach, hitting a low pitch deep into center. He appeared to pull up after rounding first, which was enough to draw the ire of his manager.

After the fact, Bellinger acknowledged the benching.

"I'm always hustling. It just didn’t make sense to me, but I get it, as well," Bellinger said. "He’s trying to prove a point. I don’t think anyone can tell me how to play. I’ve always played hard."

After putting together one of the finest performances by a rookie in league history, Bellinger has been productive throughout the first month of his sophomore campaign. The 22-year-old enters Monday hitting .291/.351/.476 with a .827 OPS to go along with three home runs, six doubles, and two triples.

Prior to Sunday's game, Roberts expressed confidence in his group, telling reporters, including McCullough, that "when it's all said and done, the Dodgers will be at the top of the division."