Los Angeles Dodgers: 6 Tweaks That Must Be Made to Regain NL West Lead

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a game-and-a-half behind the San Francisco Giants for first place in the NL West. The Dodgers have battled through injuries to their biggest stars and a 1-9 stretch in June while still remaining in the thick of the playoff chase.

What must this team do to take the next step in the tight NL West? With the Giants slightly ahead and the Arizona Diamondbacks biting at their heels, the Dodgers need to fix a few things to secure the top spot in the division.  

While it is great to have Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier back hopefully for the rest of the season, here are six tweaks that the Dodgers must make to reach the top of the NL West.  

Make Jerry Hairston, Jr. the Starting Third Baseman

Juan Uribe and Adam Kennedy have been taking a bulk of the playing time but Jerry Hairston must start for this team at third base. Not only is Hairston a great defender, but he is also swinging quite well at age 36. 

In a surprise year, Hairston is hitting .300 with 22 runs batted in. Hairston is patient at the plate and plays much better defense then the slower Uribe. Not only has Hairston been solid defensively, besides the game on Sunday against the Padres, but he has been hitting lefties quite well unlike his counterpart Adam Kennedy. 

Hairston is batting .314 against lefties while also hitting .318 on the road. These stats alone speak to his value for his team that has struggled in both departments. If the Dodgers want to regain first place, they must give Hairston the starting job at third base.  

Roll with Loney at First

James Loney may be struggling this season at a .247 clip, but history tells us not to give up on this first baseman once the second half comes around.

In the second half last season, Loney's bat came alive for the Dodgers after struggling in the first half. In August and September, he hit .367 and .348, respectively, fueling a 34-20 finish for the ball club. 

So far this month, Loney is hitting .333 and has posted his highest on-base percentage of the year at .357. Watch out, Dodger fans, the perennial second-half surge is coming from your first baseman.  

Rivera still has value in the outfield, but at first base, Loney's defense and gap to gap bat in the second half is too valuable not to play. Loney may not flash as an offensive first baseman, but his overall value is tremendous; plus, with the return of Ethier and Kemp, life at the plate will improve for the 28-year-old first baseman. 

Give Bobby Abreu More Chances in the Leadoff Spot

Bobby Abreu may not have the 20-steal a season capability he once had, but he is still a very serviceable lead off hitter. Abreu has registered 20-plus steals in the past nine seasons and has consistently shown throughout his career an ability to run smartly on the bases.

Not only is Abreu a crafty base runner, but he has shown throughout his career excellent patience at the plate, something a lead-off hitter is asked to do to be successful. Abreu has a .364 on-base percentage with the Dodgers this season and has shown an ability to drag out counts.

On Saturday, Abreu was placed in the leadoff hole against the Padres. Abreu may not have gotten a hit, but he got on twice and scored once while also forcing Edison Volquez to throw 26 pitches. This type of performance from Abreu would allow him to fit well in the leadoff spot until the return of Dee Gordon from the disabled list.

Allow Rookie Josh Wall to Develop into a Seventh Inning Horse

At 6'6", 220 pounds, Josh Wall is a big pitcher who can really bring the heat with his fastball. Wall has recorded 18 saves in Triple-A Albuquerque and has shown an ability to transition well from starter to reliever.

With the injury situation to Todd Coffey and Scott Elbert, Wall could be the best option to get through the seventh to set up Ronald Belisario and Kenley Jansen to finish the deal. The Dodgers need help in their bullpen getting to their horses, and the 25-year old will provide just the spark they need.

Add a Piece at the Deadline

The Los Angeles Dodgers' recent struggles have stemmed from injury concerns and a lack of consistent starting pitching. Luckily for the club, Kemp, Ethier and Mark Ellis have returned from the DL and look as strong and healthy as ever, swinging the bats quite well this past weekend.

As for the Dodgers' starting staff, Kershaw is consistently elite, logging deep innings and recording high strikeout numbers. Chris Capuano, who has posted a 2.75 ERA, is the second-best pitcher on this roster and will win at least 14 games.

Aaron Harang gives you his best effort every night and eats up innings to save the bullpen, but after that, the rotation is very inconsistent. Chad Billingsley has not lived up to his $9 million a year salary and now looks like more of a No. 4 or 5 option for this ball club. Nate Eovaldi pitched well in his last start against Arizona, giving up one run in six innings.

The fact remains that the Dodgers need to add a consistent No. 3 starter who can rack up some key wins while giving numerous quality starts to a team that spots mediocre run support. Ryan Dempster is a type of pitcher that fits the mold, posting a 5-3 record with a 1.86 ERA. If the Dodgers could get their hands on Dempster at the trade deadline, the rotation would be set to make a deep run as the season progresses.

Move A.J. Ellis Back to the Eight Hole

A.J. Ellis thrived in the eight hole early in the season and should be placed back into that position of comfort in coach Don Mattingly's order. This season, Ellis is hitting .318 from the eight hole while posting a tremendous .442 on-base percentage.

Although Luis Cruz is currently patrolling the eighth spot, Ellis should be given the opportunity to return to a spot in the order where he thrived for most of the first month of the season.

After starting the season on a tear, Ellis' numbers have declined a tad resulting in a current .275 batting average. If the Dodgers want to see Ellis remain at form from the first two months of the season and not the 31-year old catcher who came seemingly out of nowhere, they must return him to the eight hole.