The Los Angeles Dodgers finished their homestand with a series win against the Kansas City Royals but looking at a new reality of being without Mookie Betts for an extended period of time.
Betts suffered a fractured left hand as a result of being hit by a pitch from Royals relief pitcher Dan Altavilla. The 98 mph fastball struck Betts near his left pinky and ring finger, sending him down to the ground in a heap of pain.
Although the Dodgers quickly obtained a diagnosis of Betts having a broken hand, a timeline for his return was not yet clear.
According to Juan Toribio of MLB.com, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts is expected to be on the injured list for at least six weeks:
#Dodgers manager Dave Roberts it’s about a 6-to-8 week absence for Mookie Betts, though it’ll all obviously be contingent on how he progresses over the next few weeks.
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) June 17, 2024
Betts met with hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin of the Kerlan-Jobe Surgery Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Shin specializes in hand surgery and has operated on several professional athletes, including Russell Wilson, Alex Kirilloff, Mark Canha, Drew Brees, Mike Trout, Stephen Curry and Bam Adebayo.
Dr. Shin also repaired fractures in Kourtney Turner’s thumb and David Vassegh’s right wrist in 2022.
The initial projection has Betts returning at the end of July in a best-case scenario, or at some point in August. Regardless, he’s going to miss the 2024 MLB All-Star Game despite leading all National League shortstops in the first voting update.
The Dodgers recalled Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City as the corresponding roster move to putting Betts on the 10-day injured list. Shohei Ohtani is taking over in the leadoff spot of the Dodgers lineup and Miguel Rojas is expected to receive the bulk of starts at shortstop.
Mookie Betts’ fracture compares to Corey Seager’s?
The Dodgers found themselves in a similar position during the 2021 season, when Corey Seager sustained a right hand fracture in the middle of May that caused him to miss 65 games.
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