Mookie Betts didn’t play in the Dodgers’ 8-5 win over the Yankees on Friday, and the shortstop won’t be in the starting lineup for the remainder of the series due to a fracture in the tip of his second left toe. Betts and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Jack Harris and Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times) that a pinch-hit appearance during the series is still possible, and the hope is that Betts will be able to return to the lineup after a few days of rest.
Betts’ injury occurred off the field, as Betts said that on Wednesday night after returning home from the team’s road trip, he “was just going to the bathroom in the dark and hit my toe on a wall.” It doesn’t appear as though a trip to the injured list is in the cards, as Betts said “it’s just pain,” and that with some rest to “get the swelling out, it’ll be all right.”
Thursday was an off-day for the Dodgers, so Betts had some immediate recuperation time in the aftermath of the injury. However, Los Angeles doesn’t have another off-day until June 12, as yesterday’s tilt with New York began a stretch of 23 games in 24 days for the Dodgers. Not that there’s ever a good time to suffer a fractured toe, but this busy schedule gives Betts little opportunity for more rest if his injury lingers. The presence of Miguel Rojas, Hyeseong Kim, Tommy Edman, and Enrique Hernandez gives the Dodgers quite a bit of shortstop depth if Betts has to miss more time than expected, but obviously L.A. wants its eight-time All-Star back as soon as possible.
The toe fracture continues what has been a difficult season for Betts, and a down year by his high standards. Betts lost over 15 pounds while dealing with a severe flu-like illness in March that cost him the chance to participate in the Dodgers’ season-opening Tokyo Series against the Cubs. He was able to return to action for the Dodgers’ first North American game on March 27, but Betts has a modest .254/.338/.405 slash line and eight home runs over 234 plate appearances.
This still translates to an above-average 111 wRC+, and Betts has walked more times than he has struck out this season, so his batting eye and contact skills are still as sharp as ever. The quality of that contact is well below Betts’ norms, as his hard-hit ball rates and barrel rates are only in the 25th percentile of all batters. A .249 BABIP may also be a factor, and it could be that Betts’ efforts to fully transition to the shortstop position has taken some focus away from his hitting. Defensively, Betts has shown his mettle (+2 Defensive Runs Saved and a +3 Outs Above Average) over 447 innings at the shortstop position this year.
