Mookie Betts has been on the Los Angeles Dodgers’ injured list since April 5 with a right oblique strain, but he recently took a major step in his recovery.
Betts has already been throwing, running, and taking some ground balls, but he has now resumed swinging, which was the last major hurdle to clear before he can start taking live at-bats and then go on a rehab assignment, if necessary.
“He’s swinging,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared on SportsNet LA. “He started swinging, I think it was Saturday, in the cage. So now he has started his swing progression.
“I don’t know when he’s going to be on the field taking batting practice, let alone lives, but it’s good to know he is starting to swing the bat.”
Betts was previously limited to doing rotational work with a medicine ball to simulate swinging.
The 33-year-old has been erring on the side of caution with his rehab as he looks to avoid repeating a mistake from early in the 2025 season when he developed poor mechanical habits while recovering from an illness that caused him to lose 20 pounds.
The Dodgers did not let Betts resume swinging after he was symptom-free, and instead made him wait another week to begin that. Oblique injuries are often tricky to deal with during rehab, so the Dodgers wanted to make sure he was 100% physically to help avoid any setbacks.
“Yeah, we are (being more intentional),” Roberts previously said. “But also, he’s had experience with this in ’18 where he never really fully came back. There’s been some other injuries that he’s dealt with that lingered.
“So I think that’s part of just getting more mature and just making sure that you have some viable options. And he’s not much benefit if he’s not the Mookie Betts that we know. So that’s why we are encouraging him to take his time.”
Betts and the Dodgers also hoped to determine why the injury occurred or whether it was just random. Betts started a new training regimen and reworked his swing mechanics in the offseason, which could have played a part.
Will Mookie Betts need a rehab assignment?
The Dodgers have not decided whether Betts will go on a rehab assignment before he returns or take live at-bats in simulated games. Roberts indicated Betts usually prefers not to go out on rehab, but it may ultimately be the best course of action for him.
Their decision may be made depending on how long Betts is out for. Shorter times on the IL make it easier to come back from. But if he misses a longer stretch, they may want him to get some in-game conditioning and live ABs.
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