This weekend's series between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers will mark the return of Mookie Betts to Fenway Park. Mookie Betts hasn't played in Boston since the Red Sox traded him to the Dodgers after the 2019 MLB season.

Betts played the first six years of his career for the Red Sox. He won the 2018 AL MVP award and helped the Red Sox beat the Dodgers in that year's World Series. The Betts trade remains a sore subject among many Boston fans, but the Dodgers' star seems to have a special place in his heart for the city.

“We all love Boston, man,” Betts said, via the Boston Globe, noting that he'll have plenty of family and friends in town for the Red Sox-Dodgers series. “That’s where we all grew up. Great memories. It’s a whole new team there now, a whole new everything, really. Maybe some people will have different emotions, but I think it will be cool.”

Betts remains close with Red Sox manager Alex Cora. The two talk on the phone once a week, according to the Globe.

“AC was a big part of my life and still is,” Betts said. “It’s not always baseball when we talk, it’s about life and our families. He’s always going to be a friend.”

Boston and Los Angeles went in opposite directions in the aftermath of the Betts trade. The Dodgers won the 2020 World Series in its first season with Betts on the roster. Boston had two last-place finishes in the last three years and will likely miss the 2023 playoffs.