Mookie Betts -- Injury Report

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced Mookie Betts' return from the injured list, optioning Alex Freeland to make room on the 26-man roster. Betts missed time beginning in early April when he exited a game against Washington and has since completed his Triple-A rehab assignment. The Dodgers were confident enough in his recovery to activate him for the start of a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants. Before his injury, Betts had posted a .179/.281/.429 slash line with a .710 OPS and one home run through limited action in March and early April. Freeland, who had appeared in 33 games as the Dodgers' primary second baseman, posted a .646 OPS with 2 home runs and 8 RBIs. The Dodgers plan to use Miguel Rojas and Hyeseong Kim in a platoon at second base going forward. Betts will bat second in the lineup as the Dodgers seek to improve their offensive performance and maintain their position in the NL West race.

Mookie Betts is recovering from an oblique injury and will take a significant step in his rehabilitation by facing live pitching on Thursday. If the workout is successful, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that Betts could begin a minor league rehab assignment soon after.

For fantasy purposes, Betts is ranked #34 overall in draft rankings among 34 experts, with a range from #25 to #56. His Rest of Season (ROS) ranking sits at #49 among five experts. The 2026 season projection anticipates 541 at-bats with 89 runs, 147 hits, 22 home runs, 82 RBIs, a .271 batting average, and an .803 OPS.

Historically, Betts posted strong numbers in 2023 with a .307 average and .987 OPS across 152 games. However, his 2025 season showed decline with a .258 average and .732 OPS. Through 8 games in 2026, he is 5-for-28 (.179 average) with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs, reflecting limited playing time due to the injury.

Mookie Betts will be activated from the injured list and inserted into the Dodgers' starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the Giants at Dodger Stadium. The shortstop has missed five weeks with a strained right oblique. He completed his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City, appearing in two games where he went 2-for-5 with a walk and played 11 innings defensively.

Betts' return represents a significant boost to a Dodgers offense that has struggled with consistency in recent weeks. Manager Dave Roberts noted that while the team has sufficient talent, Betts' return will improve performance, stating his "at-bat quality" will help the team get back on track. This activation comes days after left-hander Blake Snell made his season debut, continuing the team's injury recovery efforts.

The Dodgers must make a corresponding roster move to activate Betts, likely involving either Alex Freeland or Hyeseong Kim. Freeland has recently improved to .302/.400/.419 in his last 15 games after a slow start, while Kim has been more consistent at .301/.366/.411 through 28 games since being called up when Betts was injured. Both players are candidates for optional assignment to Triple-A.

Betts' placement in the lineup has not been finalized. While he previously batted third, recent lineup adjustments have shifted Kyle Tucker to cleanup and Freddie Freeman to second. A return to the No. 2 spot, where he primarily hit last season, is among the possibilities being considered by manager Roberts.

Mookie Betts will rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday for the team's series opener against the San Francisco Giants after missing over a month with a right oblique strain. Betts has not played since April 4, when he was injured in a game against the Washington Nationals. Prior to the injury, Betts had appeared in eight games with a .179 batting average, 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs. Manager Dave Roberts stated that Betts would bat second or third upon his return, positioning him in a significant role in the lineup despite his low pre-injury performance level.

Betts completed his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, recording 2 hits in 5 at-bats with one walk across two games. During his absence, the Dodgers effectively filled the middle infield with a platoon arrangement featuring Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, and Santiago Espinal. Roberts acknowledged the challenge of managing the roster moves necessary to accommodate Betts' return, describing it as "a good problem in a sense of where we're at, but it's a potential tough conversation" regarding which player would need to be sent down.

Mookie Betts will return to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Monday when they open a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants, ending an absence of more than a month caused by a right oblique strain sustained on April 4 against the Washington Nationals. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Betts will bat in the second or third spot, though he was struggling before the injury with a .179 batting average, 2 home runs, and 7 RBIs across 8 games.

Betts completed his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, going 2-for-5 with a walk in two games. Roberts has not yet announced which player will be sent down to create a roster spot for Betts. The manager acknowledged the return presents "a good problem" given that players like Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland, and Santiago Espinal have effectively filled the middle infield during his absence, though he described the upcoming roster move as "a potential tough conversation."

Mookie Betts is progressing well in his recovery from a right oblique strain and is on track to rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers. After being cleared for a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Thursday, Betts has appeared in two minor-league games, going 2-for-5 with a walk and a run scored. According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, Betts will travel back to Los Angeles on Sunday and could be activated from the 10-day injured list on Monday ahead of the Dodgers' four-game home series against the Giants. If activated, both Hyeseong Kim and Miguel Rojas would lose playing time as Betts returns to his role as the team's shortstop.