The Los Angeles Dodgers appeared poised to welcome back Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on Sunday night but only their All-Star first baseman played in the opener of the exhibition Freeway Series.
Betts was scratched from the Dodgers lineup because of ongoing struggles with an illness that has caused significant weight loss and fatigue, among other symptoms, for two weeks.
“I’m feeling alright now,” Betts said before leaving Dodger Stadium. “I was fine this morning, got to the park, went about the day and just had to go throw up again. I’m not exactly sure what it is.”
Betts added there has not been any clarity or explanation provided by doctors as to what his virus or illness is. He stated to now weigh 150 pounds after being at 175 before the Dodgers left Arizona to Japan.
While he has managed to participate in workouts over recent days, eating any solid food remains problematic as Betts vomits each time he consumes a meal.
“It’s hard to just not eat. You can’t come to work and not eat. You know how I am, practicing all day, and my body is just kind of eating itself,” he said. “It’s hard to not fuel it. Literally every time I fuel my body, I throw up.
“I don’t know what to do about it.”
Betts received two liters of intravenous (IV) fluids while he was with the Dodgers in Tokyo. That wasn’t enough to get him healthy, and the Dodgers sent their starting shortstop home early.
“My vitals, everything has come back clean. Blood test, everything has come back really, really clean. I’m healthy. I guess it’s just something with my stomach being really aggravated,” Betts said.
“I just started some new medicine to try and calm my stomach down. … I feel great. My body feels great, I’ve been able to work out, I’ve been able to do pretty much everything but eat, which is strange.
“The symptoms have kind of gone away. I just have to figure out how to get my stomach to calm down.”
Mookie Betts expects ‘uphill’ battle
Given his diminished physical state, Betts anticipates not being at full prowess whenever he does manage to get on the field.
“It looks like I’m just going to have to be light for a little bit. Maybe play uphill for the beginning of the season. I just want to play, man,” he said. “I’m tired of sitting, tired of just throwing up, tired of doing all this.
“I just want to play.”
Betts has not played in a game since March 9, and his status for the Dodger Stadium opener would appear to be in question.
Following their comeback win, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts ruled Betts out for the Freeway Series matchup on Monday.
Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel? Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews, participate in shows and giveaways, and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors!
