PHILADELPHIA — Mookie Betts doesn’t want to make a political statement. He just wants to spend the day with his family.
Betts confirmed that he will not be joining the Dodgers for their visit to the White House on Thursday (as first reported by the California Post).
“No, I’m just going to spend some time with the fam and take an off day,” Betts said this week. “Like I said before, instead of trying to make someone else happy, I’m going to make myself happy.”
This is Betts’ fourth opportunity to make the traditional champions’ visit to the White House. The first time, following the Boston Red Sox’s 2018 World Series victory over the Dodgers, Betts was one of several players plus Manager Alex Cora who did not make the visit during President Donald Trump’s first term.
When the Dodgers won the World Series in 2020 and met President Joe Biden in July 2021, Betts was in attendance, explaining that “the world was a different place” when he chose not to go in 2019 and that he felt “selfish” for making it “about me” instead of the team.
Last year, Betts was in attendance when the Dodgers again visited the White House and he shook Trump’s hand on the stage. He opted to go in April 2025, he said at the time, because “I need to be there with my boys to celebrate this” 2024 championship.
Betts has had second thoughts about that now.
“Last year, I think I did it and I realized I didn’t do it for me,” Betts said. “On top of that, you make someone happy, you make someone else unhappy. I don’t want to keep doing that to myself. That’s pretty much it.”
But it isn’t really.
Betts has entrepreneurial ambitions now. He has appeared in TV sitcoms, hosted the MLB Awards show last November, recently launched a baseball glove company called LGND and has stakes in numerous other sports, entertainment, restaurant and tech companies.
As Michael Jordan once said when asked why he wasn’t more involved politically, “Republicans buy sneakers, too.” Betts is well aware that whether he goes to the White House and shakes the president’s hand again or not, a large chunk of the marketplace will find offense in it.
“I apologize. To the people that it’s going to piss off,” he said. “Because it’s going to piss somebody off.
“They’re here (his wife and three children) and I just don’t want to be in the middle of this stuff again. I’m already doing this bad (a reference to his sub-par offensive season). I don’t need more negative. That’s it.”
Recently retired Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw is expected to meet the team in Washington Thursday and join them for the White House visit. Last year, he spoke on behalf of the team during the event. Some team members (including infielder Miguel Rojas and Manager Dave Roberts) will be going to Capitol Hill for an event earlier in the day Thursday.
Utility player Kiké Hernandez will not be there – more a result of convenient circumstances than a political statement. Hernandez is currently on a minor-league rehabilitation assignment, returning from an oblique injury, and playing with Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Hernandez was outspoken during last year’s unrest over ICE raids in the Los Angeles area and did say he “probably” wouldn’t have made the White House visit even if he were on the active roster now.
Members of the Dodgers’ front office will also be absent from the visit.
OHTANI BULLPEN
For the first time since he was temporarily dropped from the starting rotation, Shohei Ohtani threw a bullpen session on Wednesday afternoon. Ohtani has not started since July 3 due to pain in his left knee but has continued throwing on flat ground. He told the Dodgers’ staff he was ready to throw off a mound Wednesday.
“This one was just, probably similar to an in-between starts bullpen,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said of the approximately 30-pitch session. “Just kind of throwing all his pitches and just seeing how everything is and we’ll see where we’re at tomorrow.”
Roberts said he would get together with Prior and the training staff for a “de-brief session” at some point. But there is still no determination of when Ohtani will pitch in a game again.
“I think we’ve said this over and again. It’s day by day with him,” Prior said. “We’re present today. He threw a bullpen, see where he comes in, I guess it would be Friday, since we’re off tomorrow. We’ll make determinations after that.”
After Wednesday night’s win, Robert said Ohtani will throw another bullpen session on Saturday.
COMING SOON
Roberts said it is possible both Edwin Diaz and Hernandez will be ready to come off the injured list next week when the Dodgers return home.
Diaz moved his rehab assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday and faced three batters, striking out two and giving up a single while throwing 19 pitches. He is scheduled to pitch again Thursday and then probably once more on Sunday.
Hernandez has made three starts with OKC on his rehab assignment, playing third base and left field. Roberts was less certain about Hernandez being ready early next week.
“I haven’t talked to him or anything. But he’s prepared,” Roberts said. “He’s in a good spot. So Tuesday could probably make sense. I just don’t know for certain.”
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are off Thursday.
Dodgers (RHP Roki Sasaki, 3-5, 4.98 ERA) at Mets (LHP Sean Manaea, 2-5, 4.74 ERA), Friday, 4:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM
Should the Dodgers visit Trump at the White House? Some Latino fans say no