‘Unprofessional’ Joc Pederson pulled for not hustling on ground ball

Joc Pederson was pulled from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ 9-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Monday over a lack of hustle.

Pederson drove in the Dodgers’ only run of the game with an RBI groundout in the eighth inning. He was ticked off about grounding out and could be heard yelling an expletive. He tossed his bat and barely ran 20-30 feet before peeling away from the baseline.

Tyler White replaced Pederson at first base in the bottom half of the inning. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game that Pederson had been pulled for not hustling.

Dave Roberts said he pulled Joc Pederson in the 8th inning after he didn’t run out his groundball.

“I think there's a certain way to play the game. I didn't see the effort there.”

Pederson called his effort unprofessional.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgecastillo) July 30, 2019

Pederson acknowledged his behavior was “unprofessional.”

“Yeah, it was unprofessional. I let the emotions get the best of me. … I’m better than that,” Pederson said.

Pederson is only batting .239, which is actually an improvement on his career .230 batting average. But he has walked plenty and hit for good power, so his .843 OPS has been more than respectable. He’s a key player on the Dodgers and should be setting a better example for his teammates.