Mookie Betts put together a historic performance during August, which put him into the MVP race and culminated with being named National League Player of the Month, but he has been among the several Los Angeles Dodgers off to a slow start in September.
Heading into the series finale against the Miami Marlins on Thursday, Betts was hitless in four of five games this month. That overlapped with the Dodgers losing five of their last six games before avoiding a sweep at loanDepot Park.
Betts went 1-for-2 with one run scored and two walks in their 10-0 win that was highlighted by Ryan Pepiot flirting with a perfect game.
However, Betts’ night also included leaving the stadium on crutches and needing x-rays for a potential left foot injury, which came back negative, according to Juan Toribio of MLB.com:
Mookie Betts did indeed leave the stadium on crutches, as @IsaacAzout said, and went through an x-ray. I'm told it was more precautionary, but still something to monitor.
Betts fouled a ball off his foot in his last at bat of the game.
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) September 8, 2023
Further supporting the notion that Betts may have avoided a foot injury is the lone foul ball hit off himself occurred in the first inning. He wasn’t removed from the game until the bottom of the eighth, seemingly playing right field and running the bases without issue for most of the night.
Betts also was hit by a pitch in the left hamstring during his plate appearance in the third inning.
What if Mookie Betts is injured?
If Betts suffered any sort of injury that requires a recovery of more than one month, it would significantly impact the Dodgers’ postseason hopes.
Not only has the 30-year-old put together one of his most impressive seasons at the plate, but Betts’ versatility is one of the many keys to the Dodgers leveraging their various platoon matchups.
Any extended absence for Betts would likely lead to Kiké Hernández and Jason Heyward splitting time in right field. Hernández could potentially see more time at second base as well, where Betts often starts when the Dodgers are facing a left-handed pitcher.
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