Mookie Betts made his return to the lineup Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on August 26th after missing 16 consecutive games. It was a good sign to see Betts back in action and the timing could not be any better as the Dodgers fight to stay within striking distance of the surprising San Francisco Giants in the National League West.
Betts made the start against the San Diego Padres and despite going 0-for-3, the Dodgers were able to pull out the victory.
Mookie Betts back in the Dodgers lineup tonight 😎
Los Angeles has activated the 5x All-Star & 5x Gold Glove winner from the 10-day injured list ahead of Thursday’s game in San Diego. pic.twitter.com/EgAr1eRK8X
The two-time World Series champion will play a significant role for the Dodgers toward the end of the season as he’s done numerous times in his career. Betts has been dealing with injuries throughout the season, but he’s been pushing through and has still impacted the team.
Before Betts missed those 16 games with right hip inflammation, his bat was on fire. He was on a five-game hitting streak.
Through 88 games this season, Betts is batting .274 with a .516 slugging percentage. He also has hit 17 home runs with 44 RBI. Just think of how impressive his stats would be if he didn’t have to deal with myriad injures.
He continues to be one of the top hitters on the team. Betts adds that rare combination of speed and power to a ineup that makes the Dodgers such a dangerous team.
Whether he’s setting the table at the top or driving in runs in the middle of the lineup, the former MVP and 30-30 club member, knows how to make things happen and that’s what makes him so special.
When it comes to stepping up, Betts knows how to come through in clutch moments. Our MLBbro loves the big stage. If the Dodgers want a shot at winning the division, Betts will have to be consistent at the plate and make those game-changing plays in the outfield or second base — wherever they put him.
Now that he’s back in action, look for the Dodgers to monitor Betts heavily because they cannot afford to have him miss any more games at this point of the season.
When he joined the Dodgers in 2020, you see what happened, he helped them win the World Series. This season Betts has a chance to win his third World Series and his second straight.
When his career is over, they will be talking about putting him in the Hall of Fame. But for now, he’s going to try and help the Dodgers win as many titles as possible.
Watch out for our MLBbro because he will probably have one of his best stretches as the playoff race takes shape.
The 2021 season for Major League Baseball superstar Mookie Betts has been full of highs and lows as he was placed on the Injured List retroactive to August 8 after suffering a right hip injury last week, a re-aggravation that initially took place over the previous two weeks of July.
His numbers didn’t indicate him slowing down as he’s averaging .381 with four RBI and three home runs in his last 21 at bats.
Although sensational, the injury bug continues to swarm the star right fielder. Reports indicate that the Los Angeles Dodgers (on the road in Philadelphia) have sent Betts back to Los Angeles to meet with team doctors as they will be placing him on the IL today.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Wednesday afternoon, “We’re going to have some more experts chime in to try to figure this thing out.”
Roberts told the media Tuesday, “Yesterday, the off day, he came in just achy, sore. Basically, can’t play right now. I don’t know what other test we may do but envisioning an IL move is very probable.”
With @mookiebetts being scratched from tonight's matchup vs. @Phillies sources indicate another IL stint.
MNGR Dave Roberts, "Yesterday, the off day, he came in just achy, sore. Basically can't play right now. don't know what other test we may do, but envisioning an IL stint."
The Los Angeles Dodgers have managed Betts thus far as he continues to battle for his rightful spot as one of the best players in the game. Sources close to the situation specify that the team may rest him until the start of the postseason.
Roberts told USA Today. “I think it’s something that as we look at, we are probably going to have to manage it a lot. Ideally, we would not. Our reality is it’s something that’s not going to go away.”
He continued, “Mookie is doing what he can to give us innings out there defensively, give us at-bats… so we’ve just got to manage him. Fortunately, we’ve got a lot of good players that can help support.”
His hip diagnosis became knowledgeable to the media when Roberts removed Betts from the lineup during the team’s first series after the Midsummer Classic vs. the Colorado Rockies.
Betts dodged the All-Star game for a bit of rest & relaxation as he dealt with some shoulder and back issues as well, to name a few.
Team reports indicate that Betts received a cortisone injection for what the team described as a hip pointer with inflammation that didn’t work promptly, which led to the first injury list designation.
Another way to keep Betts fresh was to play him in the infield, as fellow MLBbro Malik Wright talked about last week. The move will slow down his strides and allow him to play at a decreased pace than he would as an outfielder.
And judging from the crowd’s reaction, the move proved to be genius as Betts turned a double play.
Mookie Betts starting a double play? Not something you see every day.
He followed that up with an outstanding grab out in his old stomping grounds, which showed Dodger faithful that he is willing to give it his all for the team’s betterment.
In addition to playing some infield, the organization will have daily discussions with Betts to monitor his health.
Upon his return to action, the switch would be a way to ease the future Hall of Famer back into the lineup. Mookie told the press about playing second base, ” It is less running. I think you forget the run to the outfield, running on the bases; It is just a lot of running, and the amount kind of adds up. It’s a shorter run to second base, so I am just trying to take less steps.”
Betts is potentially the game’s best all-around player as he is a complete hitter who provides exceptional glove work in the field of play. Remember, he was drafted as a second baseman before he moved to right field. So, yeah, he is primarily an outfielder, but as you can see, he can excel at multiple positions.
Recent Comments