Dodgers star Mookie Betts has been dealing with a brutal sickness that has caused him to miss the first couple of games this season. Despite tests coming back positive, the 12th-year veteran is struggling to replenish his body amid a mysterious ailment.
On Sunday Betts told reporters “I just want to play. I’m tired of sitting, tired of just throwing up, tired of doing all this. I just really want to play. … My body’s just kind of eating itself. It’s hard not to fuel it. I don’t know what to do.”
A dramatic weight loss
The Sickness has caused the 8-time all-star to lose about 20 pounds in the span of a few weeks. The main issue is keeping down any food, which makes sense given his dramatic weight loss. When asked about his current playing condition Betts said “I weigh 157 pounds, and that’s way underweight.”
It’s safe to assume Betts doesn’t want to miss any more game action, but is it worth it to jeopardize his health? To that Betts said “I’m not saying I don’t want to do it. Sure, if that’s what it takes, but does it logically make sense? And that’s the question we need to answer.”
According to Betts, his sickness occurred a few days before the Dodgers left for their Tokyo series against the Cubs. While Betts did make the trip, he did not participate in any of the Dodgers exhibition games or their two games against Chicago. He described the plane ride to Tokyo as “Brutal, one of the worst plane rides I’ve ever had.”
Betts would end up leaving Tokyo before the rest of his Dodger teammates, signaling his trip was not have been a pleasant one.
Betts, who is slated to become the Dodger’s full-time starting shortstop this season, has been a reliable player in his career. However, last season marked his lowest game total since his rookie campaign, not including the 2020 COVID-shortened season.
Betts makes up one-third of the most dangerous trio in baseball. Teammates Freddie Freeman and Shohei Ohtani are also former MVP winners. These three will look to defend their world championship title and potentially become baseball’s next dynasty.
Opening day is right around the corner
The Dodgers are set to take on the Tigers this Thursday for their home opener. But as we approach opening day in the States, the status of Betts is still very much up in the air. In all reality, Betts will not be back to his normal playing weight by Thursday. That would require him to gain about 20 pounds in four days, which would be extremely unhealthy.
Assuming Betts could quickly get his stomach issues under control, he still may miss the first week or so of the season as he refuels his replenished body. It may be smart for the Dodgers to give him extended rest and recovery time and not rush him back to play. This Dodgers team shouldn’t be in danger of missing the postseason, so there is no reason to not let Betts nurse himself back to health.
In his absence will be veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas. Rojas had a tough series against the Cubs, going just 1-7 with 2 strikeouts and 0 RBI. He may get an extended run as the Dodgers starting shortstop until Betts is near 100% healthy.
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