TL;DR - Scouting Report
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts was scratched again vs the Angels, missing his 5th straight game with an illness. Will he be ready for Opening Day?
Start the Rally: Tweet This Now!Dodgers fans expected Sunday to mark the return of shortstop Mookie Betts. Instead, they got silence, and another lineup change by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts.
Just over an hour before first pitch in the Freeway Series finale, the Dodgers scratched Betts from the lineup for the fifth straight game. Miguel Rojas slid into the lineup at shortstop. Tommy Edman moved up. It left fans wondering — what’s really going on with Mookie?
Manager Dave Roberts hasn’t said much, only noting that Betts has lost “close to 15 pounds” due to an illness. It’s been nearly two weeks since Mookie last played, and he’s been back from Japan for almost a week. This isn’t just a flu.
It’s not COVID — he traveled. But whatever virus hit Betts, it’s clearly knocked him out of rhythm, prep time, and possibly Opening Day.
If he can’t go Thursday, it’ll be a major shift. Betts is the Dodgers’ starting shortstop and projected No. 2 hitter behind Shohei Ohtani — two of the most important roles on a team chasing another title.
Luckily for the Dodgers, Freeman is still back in the lineup Sunday night. Shohei is still Shohei. The Dodgers are still deep. They survived Tokyo without Betts and Freeman. But let’s be clear: this lineup is different when Mookie’s in it.
How long will this drag on? And when Mookie does return… how long before he’s really Mookie again?
Your Turn: What do you think is going on with Mookie? Tell us below in the comments!
