Is Mookie Betts Actually Playing for Dodgers on Opening Day?

In a spring filled with hype, hope, and high expectations, the Dodgers suddenly find themselves in triage mode. Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani — two of baseball’s brightest stars are now each facing uphill climbs on opposite timelines.

Mookie Betts Just Wants to Play; Expected to Play Tuesday

Let’s start with Betts. The outfielder-turned-shortstop revealed he dropped 18 pounds over the past two weeks, unable to keep down solid food. His weight plummeted from 175 to 157 pounds, prompting an IV in Japan and a premature exit from the Tokyo Series against the Cubs. It’s news that would be terrifying for any player.

Yet somehow, Mookie turned a corner. After a full workout at Dodger Stadium, he’s expected to suit up for Tuesday’s final exhibition and is trending toward starting Thursday on Opening Day against the Tigers and reigning AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Shohei Ohtani Returning to the Mound at Some Point in 2025; but not in May

Then there’s Ohtani, who will throw off a mound Saturday for the first time since February 25. What was once a May return as a two-way unicorn now looks like a slow, meticulous marathon toward October.

“This is about 2025,” Dave Roberts said. “We want him strong through the end.”

Ohtani has been hitting, sure; but the pitching rebuild resets Saturday. There’s no rehab stint coming. Instead, bullpen sessions, simulated games, and patience. The Dodgers are betting big on delayed gratification.

So for now it’s time to wait. One superstar is trying to eat again. The other is trying to pitch again. And both are readying themselves not just for Opening Week, but for a championship run, a repeat, one no one wants to see derailed before it begins.