Mookie Betts came into the 2026 MLB season as excited as he’s been in a long time.
After a 2025 campaign that was derailed by a stomach illness that made him drop over a dozen pounds right as the season started, Betts came into what could be a historic three-peat Los Angeles Dodgers season with a belief that he could contend as one of the best players in baseball again.
While we saw glimpses of that during the first week of the season, with Betts hammering two home runs, it is going to be some time to see if he can continue that success at the plate.
On Sunday, the Dodgers announced that one of their cornerstone players will be heading to the Injured Reserve, with South Korean utility man Kim Hye-seong called up from the Oklahoma City Comets.
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Betts only had a single at-bat on Saturday against the Nationals, getting on base and rounding them for a run before pulling up with a lower back injury that took him out of the game.
Although manager Dave Roberts hoped it was only a mild setback that would have Betts back in the lineup in a week, it’s going to be a much longer time until the four-time World Series champion gets back on the field.
Betts suffered an oblique strain during Saturday’s game, with the prevailing theory being that he pulled something while trying to hold back his swing on a pitch.
Although Roberts believes that Betts could be back before the 4-6 weeks expected to rest up from such an ailment, the Dodgers are expected to be overly cautious, making sure one of their stars is ready to play come the postseason.
In his place, Kim, alongside Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland, is expected to platoon at the shortstop position until Betts returns from his injury.
