Betts Shines Despite Injury News for Dodgers

Mookie Betts took a moment on Tuesday night to look around the room, reflecting on his standout performance during the Dodgers’ 15-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies, where he hit two home runs.

“It sucks, it sucks,” he said, gazing toward Quique Hernandez’s locker.

Hernandez, who had just rejoined the team, is now back on the disabled list due to a strained left oblique muscle. He had been sidelined for the first couple of months recovering from elbow surgery.

In response to Hernandez’s injury, manager Dave Roberts announced that Alex Freeland would be called up from Triple-A Oklahoma City to take his place on the roster.

The situation could have been worse; Shohei Ohtani continued pitching on Wednesday after being hit on the hand by a pitch. Roberts mentioned that in the fourth inning, a changeup from Kyle Freeland struck Ohtani’s pitching hand, causing a small cut on his pinky. With the Dodgers ahead 10-1, Roberts decided to pinch-hit for Ohtani in the following inning to ensure he was ready to pitch the next day.

Roberts expressed uncertainty about whether Ohtani would also serve as the designated hitter.

“We want to make sure he feels really good on the pitching side,” Roberts noted.

The focus on Hernandez’s setback and Ohtani’s scare could have overshadowed Betts’ breakthrough performance, especially since he started the day with a batting average of .165.

Wanting to mix things up, Roberts moved Betts out of his typical two-hole spot and placed him in the cleanup position. Betts responded by hitting a home run in the first inning and another in the sixth, marking his first three hits of the season. He had previously struggled with a strained oblique that kept him out for five weeks, batting .157 across 12 games since his return.

“The effort we put in has finally translated,” Betts remarked, pleased with his performance.

Along with Betts, Hernandez, Andy Pages, and Will Smith also contributed home runs, helping the Dodgers tie their season-high for RBIs with five home runs in total. The game’s ending score belied the ease of the victory, with the Rockies scoring five runs in the ninth inning against utility player Miguel Rojas.

What It Means

The Rockies are struggling, and this series against the Dodgers was crucial for both teams. The Dodgers took advantage to widen their lead in the National League West, increasing their margin from 1.5 to 3.5 games over the second-place San Diego Padres.

Who Is Hot

Eric Lauer, picked up cheaply, pitched impressively, allowing only one run and four hits over six innings. He stepped in well for the absent Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. Despite a poor record with the Toronto Blue Jays, he may have found a better fit with the Dodgers.

He did make one significant mistake, serving up a fastball to Hunter Goodman that soared over the center field wall.

Who Is Not?

It’s a bit tricky to point fingers when most starters, aside from Ohtani, managed at least one hit. Still, Kyle Tucker’s recent struggles are apparent; his performance since a two-hit game in Milwaukee hasn’t improved, going 1-for-9 in this series. His current batting average sits at .245.

To The Next

Wednesday’s series finale features Shohei Ohtani (4 wins, 2 losses, 0.73 ERA) going up against fellow countryman Tomoyuki Kanno (4 wins, 3 losses, 3.86 ERA).