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Dodgers’ Mookie Betts exits with back pain, undergoes MRI

April 5, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mookie Betts’ pursuit of a bounce-back season could be put on hold.

Betts left Saturday’s game after running the bases in the first inning and feeling pain in the right side of his lower back. Betts drew a walk and scored from first on a double by Freddie Freeman.

Betts was scheduled to undergo an MRI Saturday night.

“We’ll know more later,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “It’s certainly more modera*te than significant. So like I said, we’ll know more tomorrow.”

Roberts said Betts won’t play Sunday against the Washington Nationals, and his availability for the series in Toronto beginning Monday won’t be determined until after the results of the MRI are known. Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland are available to play shortstop in the interim. Still, the Dodgers could bring a player from Triple-A (Hyeseong Kim or Ryan Fitzgerald are the most likely) to place on the taxi squad and activate if Betts has to go on the injured list.

“I don’t want to get too far ahead of what we’re gonna do. But we’ll see,” Roberts said. “We’ll huddle up and see if we need to get a player here to protect us, depending on how the MRI comes. But yeah, he certainly won’t be playing the next couple days, I would assume.”

A virus that sapped his strength early last year led to the worst offensive season of Betts’ career in 2025 — though he was a Gold Glove finalist after moving to shortstop. This spring, he was encouraged by regaining strength and bat speed. Like many of the Dodgers’ hitters, though, he was off to a slow start – 5 for 28 (.179), though with two doubles and a home run.

“I’m disappointed for him because we’re sort of starting to get going a little bit, and the way he’s playing defense, and he’s a big part of what we do,” Roberts said. “Any time you miss, it’s gonna take some time to kind of get your footing. So disappointed for him, but hopeful that it’s not long term.”

CALL BACK

Alex Call got his first start of the season on Saturday, spelling Teoscar Hernandez in left field. Hernandez also came out of Friday’s game early, but Roberts said this is not a signal that he intends to handle Hernandez more carefully this year. Last year, Hernandez suffered a groin muscle injury in May that affected him all season and was a factor in his poor defense in right field at times.

“You know, not really,” Roberts said when asked. “I think obviously (he had) the leg injury, which I think he was kind of battling with a lot of the year, but I feel that he’s in much better shape this year. He’s healthy. And I think this is more for me, kind of trying to get his footing before we kind of let him run loose. Six in a row’s a lot (before the team’s next off day). We’re going to play three games on turf in Toronto. I want him for all three games there. So how can we kind of introduce Alex into the season, get (Hernandez) off his feet.”

Call will also start on Sunday in right field. Roberts said he will give Tucker the day off against a left-handed starter.

For Call, this weekend is his first return to Washington, where he spent parts of four seasons before a July trade to the Dodgers last year. He calls those years “a fun part of my journey.”

“It’s been awesome,” he said of coming back to Nationals Park. “Fans have been really welcoming. The guys, obviously, they’ve been very welcoming. I loved my time here. I had a great experience. Grateful for it. It’s fun to come back. It feels like you’re coming back home. I spent four years here. That’s a long time.”

PITCHING PLANS

The Dodgers plan to start left-hander Justin Wrobleski in the series opener at Toronto on Monday, followed by Yoshinobu Yamamoto on Tuesday and Shohei Ohtani on Wednesday. But there is a high likelihood of rain in Washington on Sunday and that could change plans if Roki Sasaki’s start is affected.

“That’s the plan as of now,” Roberts said. “But we’ve got to see how tomorrow plays out with weather.”

COMING SOON

Left-hander Blake Snell threw a bullpen session at Dodger Stadium on Friday. Roberts said he is scheduled to throw again on Sunday and then face hitters in live batting practice sometime next week.

Snell, Tommy Edman and Kike’ Hernandez are all on track to make their season debuts in late May. Right-hander Brock Stewart is ahead of them and “should be the first one returning to play,” Roberts said. Stewart has already started facing hitters in simulated game settings.

UP NEXT

Dodgers (RHP Roki Sasaki, 0-1, 2.25 ERA) at Nationals (LHP Foster Griffin, 1-0, 3.60 ERA), Sunday, 10:35 a.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM

Orange County Register

News Details

Dodgers’ Mookie Betts exits with back pain, undergoes MRI

CALL BACK

PITCHING PLANS

COMING SOON

UP NEXT

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