The Los Angeles Dodgers needed to hold their breath when Mookie Betts was scratched before Wednesday's game against the Athletics.
Originally expected to bat cleanup, the 33-year-old shortstop was taken out of the order due to wrist soreness; he would not come off the bench in the Dodgers' 7-1 loss. Miguel Rojas played shortstop throughout the night, while Max Muncy hit from the cleanup spot instead.
Fortunately, it appears that Betts will not miss any more time. After the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the media that Betts is feeling better after receiving treatment and he expects to put him back into tomorrow's lineup against the San Diego Padres.
Betts has been limited to 51 games this season and spent the vast majority of April on the injured list with a right oblique strain. In his absence, Los Angeles used a combination of Rojas and Hyeseong Kim to anchor shortstop. Rojas has been steady both at the plate and in the field, but Kim was optioned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets on May 29.
After a down season by his lofty standards last year, it took some time for Betts to get going in 2026. The 13-year veteran hit just .179 in eight games before landing on the IL, and hit only .200 with a .650 OPS from his return on May 11 to May 31.
However, Betts has since returned to the production the Dodgers are accustomed to when the calendar flipped to June. Over 115 plate appearances during the month, he slashed .290/.339/.477 with five doubles, five home runs and a 124 wRC+. Since June 13, he has a 1.065 OPS.
Entering Thursday's action, the Dodgers have the best record in MLB at 56-31 and lead the second-place Padres by 12 games in the NL West. Los Angeles will attempt to put the division completely out of reach as they host the Padres at Dodger Stadium for four games, presumably with Betts in their potent lineup.
