Mookie Betts Faces Potential Absence from Dodgers‘ Series Opener Against red Sox
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts may be sidelined for Friday’s series opener against teh Boston Red Sox due to personal matters,according to manager Dave Roberts.While the specific reason for Betts’ potential absence was not disclosed, Roberts indicated that the outfielder is dealing with personal issues that require his attention.
“Ther might be some things going on that he might not be around, that he’s got to deal with personally,” Roberts stated following the Dodgers’ recent victory over the Minnesota Twins. “Everything is okay with him, but yeah, we’ll see.”
This potential absence comes as Betts has been navigating a challenging offensive stretch. Over his last 30 games,he has posted a .172 batting average with a .478 OPS. A recent adjustment saw him moved to the leadoff spot in an effort to spark his performance, but he has since gone 3-for-17 with two walks in that position.
Betts’ season has been marked by adversity, beginning in late spring training when a stomach bug led to a meaningful weight loss and forced him to leave the team’s trip to Japan early, missing two subsequent regular-season games. Even though he started the year strong with a .316 average through the first 10 games, his production has since declined.
Despite offensive struggles, Betts continues to be an elite defender. He ranks third among active shortstops in Defensive Runs Saved and tenth in Outs Above Average. His plate discipline remains a strong suit, evidenced by his 11 percent strikeout rate (95th percentile in MLB) and a 17 percent swing-and-miss rate (87th percentile). Though, Betts has struggled to make consistent hard contact this season. His hard-hit rate (balls hit 95 mph or faster) is in the 19th percentile, with a 34.6 percent success rate, and his average exit velocity is in the 28th percentile at 88.4 mph.
As of Wednesday, Betts is batting .238 with a .679 OPS, both of which would represent career lows for the eight-time All-Star and seven-time silver Slugger recipient.
