After making it to first base on a six-pitch walk in the first inning of the Los Angeles Dodgers' second game in as many days against the Washington Nationals, scoring on a Freddie Freeman double one pitch later, Mookie Betts did not take the field when his side was retired, instead being replaced by Miguel Rojas at shortstop.
At the time, the move was surprising, with the broadcast noting that it was unclear why Rojas was taking over as the team's third hitter, but after Kyle Tucker took his base on balls at the top of the second, the Dodgers released an update on Betts, noting why he exited the game after half an inning of action.
“Mookie Betts left today’s game with right low back pain,” the Dodgers wrote.
Despite turning in one of the worst hitting seasons of his MLB career for the Dodgers in 2025, Betts' start to the 2026 season has been largely encouraging, with the eight-time All-Star recording five hits, two home runs, and seven runs scored over his 32 plate appearances. His defense has been Golden Glove caliber as per usual, but working with Yoshinobu Yamamoto's personal guru, Yada-Sensei, has helped the 33-year-old add some additional power to his swing that was missing last season.
Will Betts be able to suit up for the series finale against the Nationals on Sunday? Or will he instead have to wait for the Toronto Blue Jays series or even later for another chance to add to his averages? Fans will find out soon enough.
