When the Dodgers inked Michael Conforto to a one-year, $17 million “prove-it” deal, they were betting on potential over polish. Known more for his prowess at the plate than with the glove, Conforto, whose arm isn’t exactly cannon-esque, was slotted into left field.

Meanwhile, Teoscar Hernández, a fellow aficionado of offensive firepower (and not exactly a defensive savant), took charge of right field, leaving Andy Pages to roam center. The Dodgers, with their typical confidence in offensive stats, saw Conforto’s 20 dingers last year and his best slugging profile since 2020 as a value proposition worth the defensive tradeoff.

But here we are, watching the gamble unfold a bit differently than hoped. Conforto steps to the plate tied to a .141 batting average with a .528 OPS, and as of Monday night, he was mired in an 0-for-24 slump.

Once a staple in the fifth slot of the lineup back in early April, he’s now batting eighth, as the Dodgers search for the spark that’s been sputtering. The trade-off they expected—an outfield maybe a bit porous, but an offense flowing with power—has yet to flourish.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts remains cautiously patient. Even as Conforto struggles, Roberts holds the line, choosing to keep him in the mix for now: “I have thought about it…if he doesn’t look more comfortable, to be able to give him a couple days off might make sense.

But right now, I want to keep running him out there.” Of course, actions spoke louder than words on Sunday night when Miguel Rojas stepped in as a pinch hitter and delivered his first-ever pinch-hit homer, spotlighting Conforto’s struggles even more.

Roberts speculated that the pressure of Conforto’s one-year contract might be affecting his performance. After all, the shadows of previous successes under similar contracts loom large.

Just last year, similar expectations were placed on Hernández, who turned into a linchpin player for the Dodgers. The fear, of course, is that the Dodgers might end up with a player who hasn’t delivered on either offense or defense after this one-year dice roll.

While it’s unlikely the team cuts ties with Conforto just yet, the clock is ticking for him to turn that potential back into production.