Dodgers Star Mookie Betts Faces Fresh Setback
The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated a walk-off win against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night, powered by a clutch hit from Freddie Freeman. But while the victory provided a much-needed spark, a new cloud hangs over the team—Mookie Betts.
Mookie Betts, the former MVP and key piece of the Dodgers’ core, has endured a nightmare stretch since the All-Star break. Plagued by illness, injury, and a new position on defense, his production at the plate has dropped dramatically. He’s now hitting a career-low .238 with a .311 on-base percentage and a .373 slugging mark.
In an attempt to reboot his season, manager Dave Roberts moved Betts into the leadoff spot, historically a place where Betts has thrived. But the results have been underwhelming, and Roberts admitted after Wednesday’s game that the mechanical issues persist.
“I think he’s still not right mechanically, clearly,” Roberts told Dodgers Blue.
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Personal Matters May Sideline Betts
Compounding matters, Mookie Betts may now miss Friday’s game against his former team, the Boston Red Sox, due to an unspecified personal issue. Roberts acknowledged the situation in his postgame remarks, hinting at matters off the field that could require Betts’ attention.
“There might be some things going on that he might not be around, that he’s got to deal with personally. But everything’s OK with him, so we’ll see,” Roberts said.
The timing couldn’t be worse. Mookie Betts has managed just three hits and four strikeouts in the handful of games since the break, and any progress hoped for from the leadoff experiment may be derailed.
The Dodgers, already dealing with rotation concerns and midseason inconsistency, are counting on Mookie Betts to find his rhythm as they aim for another postseason run. A brief reset could help, but if the slump deepens or the personal matter lingers, it could pose a serious challenge to the team’s World Series hopes.
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