Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts fractured his hand on Sunday. In the bottom of the seventh in the Dodgers’ series finale against the Kansas City Royals, Betts took a 1–2 pitch to the hand and immediately went down. Athletic trainers surrounded the NL MVP candidate and decided to take him out of the game. Miguel Rojas came in as a pinch-runner and filled in at shortstop for the rest of the game. Hours later, the Dodgers announced the unfortunate injury to the lead-off hitter. Betts will not require surgery on his left hand, and his season is not over. However, his timetable to return is undetermined, and he will miss time.
Elite Season for Elite Player
Mookie Betts came into the season as one of the top offensive players in the game. The Dodgers switched Betts to a shortstop on the diamond, which he has adapted to after some struggles in the first portion of the season. Although Betts had to grasp shortstop at first, his bat skills stayed on top of the majors. In 71 games this season, Betts is slashing .307/.407/.493 this season, with an impressive 156+ OPS. His value on the base paths can’t go unnoticed, with nine stolen bases this year. Betts second run at a MVP award will now fade away with a brutal injury, as his first hit by pitch of the season will cost him some time.
Dodgers Future
With Mookie Betts now out, Miguel Rojas will most likely fill in for the shortstop position, and other players in a platoon scenario. With an unknown timetable as of now, the Dodgers still have many players that can hit beautifully. Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez headline the boatload of stars on the Dodgers this season. Sitting at 44–29, the Dodgers hold a nine game lead in the NL West, and look to clinch their third straight division title and 11th in the last 12 years.
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