Mookie Betts left tonight’s game due to right hip irritation, according to the Dodgers. After hitting a double in the seventh inning, Betts came up limping, and the injury looked to have occurred while he was rounding first base. The hip problem ruined what had been a banner night for Betts, as that was his third double as part of a 4-for-4 performance.
Betts is now hitting .271/.375/.503 over 373 plate appearances, as he has been red-hot over the last month following something of a slow start (by his standards) to the 2021 season. Betts’ semi-struggles early could have been due to some minor injuries, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that the hip problem has been one of Betts’ “nagging” issues. Roberts plans to have Betts back in the lineup as early as Monday, when the Dodgers begin a key series with the arch-rival Giants.
More on other injury situations around baseball…
- Reds slugger Nick Castellanos left Friday night’s game after being hit in the right wrist by an Adrian Houser pitch, and Castellanos also wasn’t in tonight’s lineup. X-rays were negative on Castellanos’ wrist, though it seems like he might get at least a day or two off for further examination. Castellanos has been one of baseball’s best hitters this season, batting .330/.384/.583 with 18 home runs over 367 PA, and Cincinnati’s pennant race hopes would be badly stung if Castellanos had to be placed on the IL for any amount of time.
- Corey Kluber might throw a bullpen session this coming Friday, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler). A rotator cuff strain sidelined Kluber back on May 26, and while he was initially projected for an eight-week recovery period, Yankees GM Brian Cashman said last month that September might be Kluber’s likelier return date. Given the long absence and the fact that Kluber missed almost all of the 2019-20 seasons due to injury, the veteran right-hander is likely to require multiple bullpen sessions and a minor league rehab assignment before he can get back on a big league mound, which could account for Cashman’s extended timeline. That said, it is a good sign that Kluber is beginning to ramp up throwing activities now, so an August return might not be out of the question. Over 53 1/3 innings prior to his rotator cuff strain, Kluber looked good in posting a 3.04 ERA, showing some flashes of his old Cy Young Award-winning form.
At this rate Mookie may not even be able to finish 1/2 of contract length.
Better they ease up and not push him. He’s rebounded nicely. They don’t need mookie for regular season, but instead the postseason.
Thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery.
Hahaha. Mookie had a 133 OPS+ before going 4-4 with a bomb and 2 doubles tonight.
He’s played in 80 of 90 games. At 3.1 bWAR, he’s on pace for a 6 win season
For most other players, that’s a career year
I missed edit window, but Betts actually had 3 doubles and a HR today. A 4 XBH game or his 500+ slugging are hardly worrisome
He had a 3.6 bWAR last year in 1/3 of a year. As I said, 3.1 bWAR this year in half a seasons games.Honestly, Where’s the problem?
Yeah that was simply a stupid comment by pasha2k.
And, on another note, I hate missing that edit window…especially when I notice one of my typos later. I conveniently blame typing on my iPad. Damn touchscreen!
He’s a class guy. He knew that he didn’t deserve to be an all-star and gave his spot away so that someone more deserving could take his place. Hope he recovers soon as he’s been swinging a hot bay of late.
And it wont matter. Dodgers already got a WS in year 1 of the deal
Last year will always have an asterisk. Dodgers need to win in a full year after players have had a full 162 games put on their bodies. So far they can’t get it done.
That’s such a dumb argument. They’ve made the playoffs 8 straight years now. You really think it was a question if they would make playoffs in 2020? They were on pace to win 115 freakin games, playing .717 ball. Even 500 ball the rest of the way for 162+ they woulda won over 90 games
Then add the playoffs last year were longer with fewer off days, no home field advantage and more rounds to slip up. They also beat the best possible team in each round after the first, #2+ #3 seed in NL and AL’s top seed
It was the hardest title won in the last 10+ years I’d argue. Claiming there’s an asterisk is sticking your head in the sand and yelling LALALA so you can’t hear what you don’t like
no
I agree the Dodgers likely would have won if it was a normal season last year, but I certainly wouldn’t call it the hardest title won. Having to win 2 extra games against a team with a losing record is not exactly a challenge.
It’s not the 2 games against the Brewers. It deserves a mention but it’s hardly the crux of why 2020 was such a hard playoff fight
The real reason the title is the hardest won in a long time is having zero true off days from the Brewer series until the World Series, unless you eliminated your opponent early. That’s going thru Mil, SD and ATL with ZERO off days mid series. Neither the Nationals in 19 or the Red Sox in 18 could have won with such a schedule. They each rode 3 pitchers on short rest to a title. They needed the travel days to make it work. Any team last year needed four quality starters, which is eventually what was Atl’s demise despite being up 3-1.
No just wrong, if we won’t asterisk 2017/2018 then 2020 is legit as well.
@thecoffinnail
It won’t matter. It goes down in the record books as a championship season, like it or not.
Also, you can go the other way and say last season robbed us of one of the best teams ever. They were 43-17 and showed no signs of showing down. They could’ve easily won 110 games
How about running through the playoffs with no days off? Cause that happened too. If you believe that the only difference in the playoffs was an extra series you wernt watching. You guys are showing your lack of fandom. Last playoffs was a fight like no others.
Great comment.
How do you dump on a player whom you have rooted for all those years while with RS who has been nothing but positive to baseball and his community??
Padre fan?
Kluber hurry back so Yankees can trade you before deadline.
Hard to agree with a Yankee fan, but you clearly have a head on your shoulders. Anyone who knocks Mookie doesn’t know anything about baseball. Great player, better person.
Hope Judge is back soon. Baseball is better when we’re both at our best.
-A Red Sox Fan
He was a 5th round pick too. It’s why I don’t understand teams caring so much about draft picks these days. The Yankees and Red Sox best home grown player of the past decade or so has come from the 5th round (Gardner and Betts). Besides Judge the Yankees 1st round picks have been busts. Kaprielian might turn into something but so far he’s had nothing but injuries.
Found study from within last 10 years. 1st rounders have a 67% chance to make MLB. 2nd rounders and it falls to 50%. Rounds 3-5 drop to 32% chance to make it. It doesn’t get better from there
The outliers do not change how the majority of the players progress
The lack of mathematical logic in this country is worrisome. Mattingly was drafted in the 19th round, so we should trade our 1st round pick for a 19th round pick in the future.
You can thank Common Core for that…
Maybe because most major leaguers are drafted in the earlier rounds. Better odds. It’s not tough.
Another idiotic super-contract. Sox were wise to trade him.
He was on pace for a 9 bWAR season in 2020 and about a 6 bWAR season in 2021
Extrapolated out, that’s 15 wins in 2 years. Using the conservative 8M per win value, he’s been worth 120M if his 2020 and 2021 are put at a 162 pace. The dodgers would have paid 50M for that production, again with a full 162 both years
Hardly
He is awesome, but equating WAR to $ is dumb. WAR is a bad stat. Overvalues defense by far, and basically the reason the cubs paid 184MM for heyward.
Year #1 of 12 years. I will wait until the end to judge whether it was a good contract:
Pujols – Angels
Stanton – Marlins/Yankees
A-Wrong – I mean A-Rod – Texas/NYY
Cano – Seattle
……
It’s not my number. That’s from fangraphs. And it’s not from nothing. It’s based on actual contracts signed backed by actual war produced by each player
The heyward contract looked dumb the second it was signed. Mookie’s deal is right in line with an elite bat and an elite glove. When was heyward’s “subpar” 130 OPS+ season?
you sound so bitter. Albert, Stanton, Canó and Arod 2 looked bad the second they were signed. They were over 30 before it started. That’s not the case with mookie. And like arod mega deal 1, i don’t see why it can’t work out. He’s already been +70M in value if he keeps up this year….
Betts is going to rest one day and some fools are talking about it like his season is over and the contract is a bust. Such transparent moronic hate…pathetic.
Great player with an injury that’s either going to take time to heal or eventually require surgery. I agree with the commenter that said don’t push him now. Just SMH when I see an injured player at the front end of a large contract getting pushed out onto the field to fill seats.
Betts has already said he is good. He will rest one day and be back in the lineup on Monday, according to him and Roberts.
On anothernote, Dodger stadium seats are filled with or without Betts.
Why are people hating on Mookie so hard? I’m a Giants fan, and the 2020 championship is 100% legitimate. Every team was faced with the same set of challenges last year, and the Dodgers were the team to overcome all of the obstacles. Part of me feels like it’s almost worth more than winning in a traditional year. Mookie is worth every penny for what he does on and off the field. There’s maybe 2-3 players I would take over him. Just my humble opinion.
IIRC Kluber pitched all of one inning (if that) for Texas after the trade. He is most likely done.