Mookie Betts fractures hand on hit-by-pitch vs. Royals

LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers are going to be with out Mookie Betts for a while, because the shortstop has a fractured left hand following successful by pitch within the seventh inning of a 3-0 win over the Royals at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

Going through right-hander Dan Altavilla with a 1-2 depend, Betts was struck by a 97.9 mph four-seamer and instantly fell to the bottom, visibly in ache. Supervisor Dave Roberts stated Betts will not want surgical procedure and the damage will not be season ending, however there is not any timetable for his return.

“It is simply going to be relaxation and let the bones heal,” stated Roberts.

It took fairly some time for Betts to have the ability to rise up and go away the sphere, making for a scary second that was extraordinarily tough to look at for each groups.

“Completely no intent,” stated Altavilla. “I used to be attempting to go inside in a 1-2 depend and it slipped armside out of my hand. I actually hope he is OK.”

Betts stated that he’ll see orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Shin at Cedars-Sinai on Monday to find out the most effective course of therapy. To Betts’ recollection, it was the primary time he had been hit on the palms. It’s not the primary time he has missed time resulting from a bone fracture, nonetheless; in 2022, he cracked his proper rib in an outfield collision with Cody Bellinger.

With that damage, he was out for simply 15 days, enjoying once more whereas the rib was nonetheless technically damaged. He is not going to be again so quickly this time.

“Clearly, I will be watching the boys, cheering them on,” stated Betts, whose hand was wrapped up after the sport. “However apart from that, it’s simply sort of relaxation, perhaps use it as a psychological break. Be able to go at any time when it heals up.”

L.A.’s leadoff hitter and one among its most constant contributors, Betts was batting .304 with an .893 OPS this season. He’s tied for third on the crew with 10 homers. A six-time Gold Glove winner in proper discipline, he has crammed in adeptly in his first full season at shortstop. In his absence, Roberts’ “preliminary thought” is to maneuver Shohei Ohtani up the leadoff spot, a job he crammed loads of instances throughout his six seasons with the Angels.

“He is clearly an important a part of the crew,” Ohtani, who homered twice on Sunday, stated by means of interpreter Wil Ireton. “And if he is out for a while, then it is actually as much as the remainder of the crew to select him up in order that we will proceed.”

The Dodgers will now be with out each components of their left aspect of the infield, as third baseman Max Muncy stays out indefinitely with a proper indirect pressure. Miguel Rojas, who pinch-ran for Betts and took over for him within the discipline for the remaining two innings of the sport, will get the majority of the shortstop duties for now, with Kiké Hernández filling in at instances. The Dodgers plan to recall Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis to fill Betts’ place on the roster.

It was already a troublesome day for the Dodgers on the damage entrance, as previous to the sport, they positioned right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto (proper rotator cuff pressure) and Michael Grove (proper intercostal pressure) on the injured checklist.

However dropping Betts — who so far was trending towards being the Nationwide League’s beginning shortstop within the All-Star Sport — is about as large a blow because the Dodgers may have been dealt, and it’s going to require some large changes from his teammates.

“He is a famous person participant, he is a giant a part of our ballclub,” stated Roberts. “However our guys perceive that that is a part of baseball, and you bought to maneuver ahead. And guys are going to get alternatives and acquired to play properly.”