Dodgers promote Danny Lehmann to bench coach

The Dodgers’ major league coaches for 2023 includes ten returning members from 2022 on manager Dave Roberts’ staff, and two promotions.

Danny Lehmann, who was the game planning and communications coach the last three seasons, was promoted to bench coach. Bob Geren, who was the bench coach for Roberts’ first seven seasons as manager, is now the major league field coordinator on the staff.

Lehmann, 37, has been in the organization since 2015, first as an advance video scout for three seasons before becoming game planning and communications coach in 2018. In 2019, he was a special assistant before going back to game planning for the next three years before this promotion.

Of note is Aaron Bates getting promoted from assistant hitting coach to co-hitting coach along with Robert Van Scoyoc. This is the fifth year on the major league coaching staff for Bates, and his ninth year in the organization. Bates over the previous four years also split time between the majors and with his duties as director of hitting in the minors.

Bates was promoted after hitting coach Brant Brown left for a similar position on the Marlins’ major league staff in December.

The Dodgers did not fill Lehmann’s old game planning and communications role, nor did they include an assistant hitting coach (Bates’ old role) in their list of 2023 coaches.

Clayton McCullough will coach first base for a third season, and in his ninth year with the Dodgers. McCullough was LA’s minor league field coordinator for several years before joining the major league staff, and ran the alternate training site at USC during the pandemic-truncated 2020 season.

McCullough, who managed in the minors from rookie level to High-A for seven years in the Blue Jays system, this offseason interviewed for the Royals managerial opening that went to Rays bench coach Matt Quatraro. McCullough also interviewed for the Mets’ managerial opening prior to the 2022 season, and for the Giants’ job prior to 2020.

Dino Ebel will coach third base and work with the team’s infielders, returning to a role he’s had since 2019.

The pitching triumvirate of pitching coach Mark Prior, assistant pitching coach Connor McGuiness, and bullpen coach Josh Bard, are all back for a fourth straight season in their current roles. Dodgers pitchers in the last three years have posted the three best adjusted ERA+ and the three lowest on-base percentages allowed by a National League or American League team in the live ball era (since 1920).

Roberts, who is 653-380 (.632) in his seven seasons as Dodgers manager, last March signed a contract extension through 2025.