Mookie Betts
Breakdown
Performance
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April 6, 2026
Improvement with oblique injury
Betts (oblique) said Monday that he already feels "light years ahead of where I thought I was going to be," Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Analysis
Betts tweaked his right oblique in Saturday's game against the Nationals and landed on the 10-day injured list Sunday. It's an injury type that usually necessitates longer than a minimum stay on the injury list, but Betts' encouraging update Monday suggest he could be back before the end of April. Hyeseong Kim is handling shortstop for the Dodgers on Monday and will continue to get reps at the position while Betts is out, with Miguel Rojas, Alex Freeland and Santiago Espinal also in the mix.
April 5, 2026
IL bound with oblique strain
Manager Dave Roberts announced Sunday that Betts was diagnosed with a right oblique strain and is being placed on the 10-day injured list, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Analysis
Betts exited Saturday's contest with the injury, which was originally labeled as lower-back pain. An MRI revealed it's actually an oblique issue, which carries an expected recovery timeline of 4-to-6 weeks, per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register. Hyeseong Kim is joining the Dodgers in a corresponding move and is expected to split time at shortstop with Miguel Rojas while Betts is unavailable.
April 4, 2026
Headed for MRI
Betts will undergo an MRI on his back Saturday evening, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Analysis
Betts was removed from Saturday's game against the Nationals in the first inning with lower-back pain, and the Dodgers will send him for testing to determine the extent of the issue. Manager Dave Roberts described the injury as "more moderate than significant," though he is already ruling Betts out for at least the next couple days. Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland are candidates for playing time at shortstop while Betts is sidelined.
April 4, 2026
Exits early Saturday
Betts was removed from Saturday's game against the Nationals in the first inning with lower-back pain.
Analysis
The 33-year-old infielder drew a walk during his lone plate appearance and scored shortly afterward on a Freddie Freeman double, but Betts was replaced on defense when the Dodgers took the field for the bottom of the inning. The severity of his injury is still unclear, but the team may send him for imaging to determine whether he's dealing with a structural issue. Miguel Rojas entered as Betts' replacement Saturday and will likely be the next man up to start for Los Angeles if the 2018 AL MVP has to miss additional time.
April 4, 2026
Slugs second homer Friday
Betts went 2-for-6 with a home run, two total RBI and two total runs Friday in a 13-6 victory versus the Nationals.
Analysis
Betts gave the Dodgers their first lead with a two-run blast in the third inning, two batters after Shohei Ohtani tied the score with a three-run homer of his own. Betts has two home runs and seven RBI through Los Angeles' first seven games after logging a modest 20 long balls and 82 RBI across 150 regular-season contests last year. However, Betts is batting just .179 (5-for-28) so far, with three of his five hits going for extra bases.