The Los Angeles Dodgers gained some clarity with Mookie Betts when it was discovered his ongoing right hip pain has been caused by a bone spur. The revelation was made after Betts was placed on the 10-day injured list and returned to L.A. to meet with specialists.
While more knowledge was obtained, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said it remained unknown when Betts would return. The IL stint for the troublesome hip is his second since the All-Star break.
For the time being, the 2018 American League MVP is making progress toward increasing his level of activity. Betts has been active in the weight room at Dodger Stadium and the next step is taking his work onto the field.
“I think it’s going to be Thursday,” manager Dave Roberts answered when asked when Betts would start baseball activities. “If you’re looking at baseball activity Thursday, Friday, I don’t know. We’ll see.
“Again, I don’t want to put a date on Mookie. The body is moving well in the weight room and moving around, so he’s going to be doing baseball activity Thursday. We’ll see where that takes him.”
Betts received a second injection to treat his hip inflammation and a return — along with remaining on the field — is largely going to be predicated by pain threshold. The Dodgers previously tried to help manage it by playing him at second base for a stretch of games.
That option no longer is quite as feasible with Trea Turner in the fold, but Roberts recently said Betts still could receive occasional time at second base.
Betts avoids surgery for time being
Although Roberts could not say for certain what the offseason would entail, the expectation is Betts will return at some point and avoid surgery prior to the season concluding.
“I think right now where we’re at, we’re trying to figure out what’s the best way to get him back with us and through the season,” Roberts said earlier this month. “Once we get to the offseason we’ll kind of address that (potential surgery).”
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