Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts heads to IL with right oblique strain.
The Los Angeles Dodgers placed star shortstop Mookie Betts on the 10-day injured list with right oblique strain, manager Dave Roberts said on Sunday.
Mookie Betts Placed On 10-Day IL With Oblique Strain: Return Is Unknown
Betts’ injury occurred in the first inning of the Dodgers’ 10-5 win on Saturday over the Washington Nationals, leaving the game with right low back pain, according to the team’s announcement. Roberts believed Betts tweaked the oblique on a check swing during his first at-bat but didn’t feel it until rounding the bases. He scored on first baseman Freddie Freeman’s double following his walk, going from first to home.
The Dodgers are uncertain of how long he will be sidelined due to the unpredictability of oblique injuries and healing timelines, which is typically four to six weeks. Roberts mentioned that he was hopeful Betts would return before then.
Although a major blow to Los Angeles, losing a player of Betts’ caliber for several weeks, the eight-time All-Star has struggled at the plate so far in the season. He hit just .179 with two home runs and seven RBIs in the team’s first eight games. It marks his worst eight-game start to a season, batting average-wise, since entering the league in 2014.
These performances follow a rough 2025 postseason for Betts as well, where he batted .229 alongside 16 hits across 17 games.
The 33-year-old hit .261 with five homers and 10 RBIs in the Dodgers’ first eight contests in 2025, but success slowed by the end of April, ending the month at .232.
The Dodgers called up shortstop Hyeseong Kim from Triple-A Oklahoma City following Betts’ move.
Roberts said that Kim and Miguel Rojas, who replaced Betts in the Saturday win, will share time at shortstop until the former MVP returns. Kim hit .280 with three home runs and 17 RBIs in 71 games as a rookie last season. Rojas will get the start at shortstop in Sunday’s series finale, batting in second. Left fielder Teoscar Hernandez will hit third, typically where Betts does.
The Dodgers are currently 6-2 and sit in first place in the NL West. The team is batting .283, tied for second-best in the MLB. They will head to Toronto next to face the Blue Jays, a rematch of the 2025 World Series.
