Los Angeles Dodgers: How Long Should Don Mattingly Stick with Dee Gordon?

Soon after Dee Gordon earned the title of starting shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers, fans began to state their expectations of him.

The predicted stats for Gordon's 2012 season were all over the place. Most would agree that a .290 season with 50-plus stolen bases and a decent fielding percentage would have been a good first year for him. The problem is that he is nowhere near that at this early stage of the season.

Entering Wednesday's game against Colorado, Gordon is batting .209 with a horrendous on-base percentage of .255. At times, his play is reminiscent of Willie Mays Hayes from Major League's Cleveland Indians.

Even more alarming is his rate of strikeouts. With 91 official at-bats in the books, he has struck out 20 times. In comparison, he struck out 27 times in 224 at-bats last year with the Dodgers.

Gordon's defense has also been a disappointment. He does make highlight-reel plays from time to time, but his .941 fielding percentage ranks him 27th out of 30 shortstops in the majors.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly doesn't have much to work with at the leadoff spot, which is one of the reasons he is willing to wait longer than most would in this situation.

If Dee Gordon isn't the leadoff hitter, what other option does Mattingly have? The only other player on the active roster that remotely fits the mold of a leadoff hitter is Tony Gwynn Jr. Unfortunately, that wouldn't be much of an upgrade, and Gwynn is currently platooning in left field.

Mattingly is making the right call by sticking with Gordon. I wouldn't move him out of the leadoff spot unless his poor play continued closer to the All-Star break.

We often see managers make knee-jerk reactions. The patience Mattingly displays with his players is a big reason why he has his team playing so well.