The initial Los Angeles Dodgers lineup included Mookie Betts starting in right field and batting leadoff, but he was ultimately scratched from the series opener against the San Francisco Giants due to right hip irritation.
The hip trouble forced Betts to leave last Saturday’s game at Coors Field and kept him out for the finale. However, Betts and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts largely downplayed the injury that has lingered for much of this season.
Roberts said his expectation was for Betts to be back in the lineup Monday after not appearing in the extra-innings loss to the Colorado Rockies.
While it was not publicly known at the the time, the hip issue was among the injuries that prompted Betts to skip the 2021 MLB All-Star Game in favor of rest and recovery. He additionally has dealt with left shoulder and back trouble this season.
Betts began swinging the bat well heading into the All-Star break and carried that momentum into the first two games against the Colorado Rockies. In his past four games Betts is 12-for-16 with four doubles, three home runs and seven RBI.
He went 4-for-4 with three doubles and a home run prior to exiting with the hip injury. Betts came out after his third double of the game, but explained after the win that scoring from second base on Max Muncy’s single was what aggravated it.
“I’m good,” Betts nevertheless added. “I’ve been dealing with it. I think I just made it a little more mad than normal, but I’m fine.”
Betts hit, did pilates
While last week was used to recover from injuries, Betts also kept busy, albeit in somewhat minimal fashion. “I did some hitting, for sure,” he said. “But hitting and pilates, those were the only things I did.”
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