The Los Angeles Dodgers just made a decisive call on Mookie Betts after MRI results revealed the latest on his injury. Betts exited the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game against the Washington Nationals in the first inning Saturday. On Sunday morning, the Dodgers made a major announcement on their injured eight-time All-Star.
Betts has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, per MLB Trade Rumors’ Nick Deeds, who reports that manager Dave Roberts confirmed the diagnosis. The decision immediately clarifies whether Betts will miss extended time, a major development for a Dodgers lineup that had just begun to find its rhythm.
Jack Harris of the California Post was first with the news.
In a corresponding move, the Dodgers recalled infielder Hyeseong Kim from Triple-A.
The injury appeared to happen when Betts scored from first base on a Freddie Freeman double in the first inning Saturday. He appeared uncomfortable as he returned to the dugout and Roberts immediately pulled the 33-year-old from the game.
Whether Betts would be placed on the 10-day or 15-day IL was not confirmed.
Dave Roberts Remains Hopeful Before Betts IL Stint
The MRI Betts underwent Saturday night revealed the oblique strain, and while the Dodgers are trying to stay optimistic, oblique injuries are one of the most unpredictable in baseball. As CBS Sports reported, the standard recovery timeline for an oblique strain runs four to six weeks, which would sideline Betts into mid-May at the earliest.
Roberts is hopeful Betts could return before that standard window. But the three-time World Series-winning Los Angeles manager did not commit to a firm timeline, MLB Trade Rumors noted Sunday.
Per True Blue LA, Roberts said Saturday, “It was running the bases, scoring on that double.”
Betts showed no outward distress while on the basepaths, and Roberts said the issue wasn’t relayed to him until Betts was back in the dugout â which in retrospect helps explain why the oblique, rather than a visible muscle pull, was the culprit.
Saturday night, before the MRI results were in, Roberts was already telegraphing that this was serious. “He certainly won’t be playing the next couple days, I assume,” he told reporters, via the Associated Press. The Dodgers confirmed Sunday morning that the IL stint was the call.
“Disappointed for him because we’re sort of starting to get going a little bit. The way he’s playing defense, he’s a big part of what we do. Any time you miss, it’s going to take some time to kind of get your footing. So disappointed for him but hopeful it’s not long-term,” Roberts said, as quoted by DodgerBlue.com‘s Matthew Moreno.
What the Oblique Strain Means for the Dodgers
Kim, 27, is in the second year of a $12.5 million contract and had been optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City before Opening Day.
Oblique strains are notoriously tricky for position players specifically because hitting requires rotational movement, the exact motion that aggravates the injury. Even a minor oblique strain carries a real risk of re-injury, which is why teams are often forced to keep players out longer than the pain alone would suggest. A more significant strain, or a setback during rehab, could push Betts’ return well past May.
In the meantime, Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland will reportedly handle shortstop duties, with Kim stepping in primarily against right-handed pitching while Rojas and Santiago Espinal handle matchups against lefties. The Dodgers enter this stretch at 6-2 and with a deep enough lineup to absorb some of the offensive loss. Betts was hitting just .179 through eight games anyway. His defense, however, will be harder to replace.
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