Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly isn't sure what his full lineup will look like from 2-through-8, but he is positive that new shortstop Jimmy Rollins will be at the top of it.
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Rollins is set to leadoff when the Dodgers play the Chicago White Sox in their spring training opener on Wednesday in Cactus League action, and Mattingly said that it likely is the beginning of a long-term role for him.
"That's the one guy we are pretty sure about, Jimmy is that leadoff guy," Mattingly told ESPN Los Angeles. "We don't truly have anyone else that fits in that role."
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Rollins, who has hit in the leadoff spot in 1,456 of his 2,090 career games, slotted in the second spot for the Philadelphia Phillies over the last two seasons.
The three-time All-Star and 2009 World Series champion was dealt to the Dodgers in December in exchange for two minor league pitchers and waived his no-trade clause to help finalize the deal.
Rollins, 36, may not be the ideal candidate for a leadoff hitter anymore after coming off of a season where he hit just .243 and brought his career on-base percentage to .327.
Still, Mattingly projects that Rollins is the man for the job.
"He gives us a guy from both sides, with speed. He profiles up there," Mattingly said. "He's the guy you can pretty much play every day and he's a consistent guy up there at the top."
Rollins is looking to bring a veteran presence to a Dodgers team that enters the season on the heels of a 94-68 finish to 2014 and in search of its third straight NL West title.
Los Angeles is looking to avoid its recent postseason futility as it was eliminated in the NLDS in four games by the St. Louis Cardinals last season and fell to them in the NLCS in six contests in 2013.
Rollins was dealt by Philadelphia due to their rebuilding process as the Phillies are coming in off of a last place finish last season in the NL East.
Rollins is a lifetime .267 hitter with 216 homers, 887 RBI, 453 stolen bases and 1,325 runs.
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