Mookie Betts Sustains Fractured Toe, Hoping To Keep away from IL

Mookie Betts didn’t play within the Dodgers’ 8-5 win over the Yankees on Friday, and the shortstop received’t be within the beginning lineup for the rest of the collection because of a fracture within the tip of his second left toe.  Betts and Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts advised reporters (together with Jack Harris and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Instances) {that a} pinch-hit look throughout the collection continues to be doable, and the hope is that Betts will be capable of return to the lineup after a couple of days of relaxation.

Betts’ harm occurred off the sphere, as Betts stated that on Wednesday night time after returning dwelling from the staff’s street journey, he “was simply going to the toilet in the dead of night and hit my toe on a wall.”  It doesn’t seem as if a visit to the injured record is within the playing cards, as Betts stated “it’s simply ache,” and that with some relaxation to “get the swelling out, it’ll be all proper.”

Thursday was an off-day for the Dodgers, so Betts had some speedy recuperation time within the aftermath of the harm.  Nevertheless, Los Angeles doesn’t have one other off-day till June 12, as yesterday’s tilt with New York started a stretch of 23 video games in 24 days for the Dodgers.  Not that there’s ever time to undergo a fractured toe, however this busy schedule offers Betts little alternative for extra relaxation if his harm lingers.  The presence of Miguel Rojas, Hyeseong Kim, Tommy Edman, and Enrique Hernandez offers the Dodgers fairly a little bit of shortstop depth if Betts has to overlook extra time than anticipated, however clearly L.A. desires its eight-time All-Star again as quickly as doable.

The toe fracture continues what has been a troublesome season for Betts, and a down yr by his excessive requirements.  Betts misplaced over 15 kilos whereas coping with a extreme flu-like sickness in March that value him the possibility to take part within the Dodgers’ season-opening Tokyo Collection towards the Cubs.  He was capable of return to motion for the Dodgers’ first North American sport on March 27, however Betts has a modest .254/.338/.405 slash line and eight dwelling runs over 234 plate appearances.

This nonetheless interprets to an above-average 111 wRC+, and Betts has walked extra occasions than he has struck out this season, so his batting eye and make contact with expertise are nonetheless as sharp as ever.  The standard of that contact is properly under Betts’ norms, as his hard-hit ball charges and barrel charges are solely within the twenty fifth percentile of all batters.  A .249 BABIP may additionally be an element, and it might be that Betts’ efforts to completely transition to the shortstop place has taken some focus away from his hitting.  Defensively, Betts has proven his mettle (+2 Defensive Runs Saved and a +3 Outs Above Common) over 447 innings on the shortstop place this yr.