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Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts, who is having an excellent season, exited Sunday’s 3-0 win over the Kansas City Royals after being hit by a pitch in the seventh inning.
How severe is Betts’ injury? How long could he be out? How big of a blow is this to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ National League West title, National League pennant and World Series hopes?
How could it influence the MLB Playoffs race?
Take a look at what we know about Betts’ situation and the impact it could have on the NL West and the rest of the 2024 MLB season.
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What happened to Mookie Betts?
Betts, the Dodgers’ star shortstop, was hit on the hand with a 98 mph fastball by the Royals’ Dan Altavilla in the seventh inning on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.
Betts exited the game after trainers examined him.
After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed that Betts has a fractured left hand.
How long could Mookie Betts be out with the injury?
It isn’t known how serious Betts’ fracture is, but he could miss significant time with the injury.
After the game, Roberts said that Betts would not require surgery.
Betts told reporters he would see hand specialist Dr. Steven Shin on Monday, June 17.
The Baseball Prospectus injury-recovery database puts the usual recovery time for an injury like Betts’ injury at two to three months.
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How will Mookie Betts’ injury impact the Dodgers?
Roberts told reporters that Miguel Rojas will take over as Los Angeles’ starting shortstop, while Kike Hernández is also expected to get time at the position.
He also told reporters that Shohei Ohtani would likely move into the leadoff spot for the Dodgers.
Replacing Betts’ bat is easier said than done. He’s batting .304 on the season, with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs.
“It’s a big blow. I feel bad for Mookie because he’s having an MVP-type season,” Roberts told reporters Sunday.
“Honestly we’ve gone through this so much and teams go through this all the time. That’s part of baseball. You’ve got to move forward and guys know there are going to get opportunities and have to play well.”
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How does Mookie Betts’ injury impact the NL West, MLB Playoff races?
The Dodgers have some margin for error with Betts’ injury.
Entering Monday’s games, the Dodgers are 44-29, holding a commanding eight-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West, with the Diamondbacks and San Francisco Giants 8.5 games behind Los Angeles.
The Colorado Rockies are 18 games back.
The Dodgers currently have the second-best record in the National League, with the Philadelphia Phillies at 47-24.
BetMGM Sportsbook listed the Dodgers as the favorites to win the World Series as of Monday morning, at +300, ahead of the New York Yankees (+450) and Phillies (+600).
Los Angeles was also the favorite to win the National League, with odds at +135, ahead of the Phillies, who were at +280.
As for NL West odds, Betts’ team was at -3000 on Monday morning, well ahead of the Padres (+3000), Diamondbacks (+3500) and Giants (+5000), with the Rockies at +50000.
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Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
