Telepeer

Dodgers place Mookie Betts on IL with oblique strain, recall Hyeseong Kim

April 5, 2026

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Dodgers will be without Mookie Betts for at least a few weeks.

An MRI revealed Betts suffered a strained oblique muscle in his right side during Saturday’s game. He was placed on the injured list Saturday, and Hyeseong Kim was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts probably suffered the injury on a checked swing during his first at-bat Saturday but really felt it as he ran the bases, scoring from first base on a double by Freddie Freeman. He left the game after that.

“What was the start of it was probably the checked swing, but we still don’t have clarity on that,” Roberts said Sunday morning. “I just talked to him. He feels better than he thought. That’s a good thing. But he’ll be on the IL.”

How long Betts will be sidelined, Roberts was unwilling to guess, but he did say he would “take the under” on four to six weeks.

“But as far as putting a timeline, I’m really hesitant right now, because they are tricky,” Roberts said of oblique injuries.

With Betts out of the lineup, Roberts indicated Miguel Rojas and Kim would share time at shortstop, with Alex Freeland remaining at second base.

“That’s how we’ll divvy it up, and then we’ll see,” Roberts said.

In addition to Betts being out of the lineup, Roberts gave Kyle Tucker, Will Smith and Max Muncy the day off (at least to start) on Sunday. What the lineup will look like going forward is something Roberts said he hasn’t worked out yet.

“I haven’t thought through that. I might have some time before today’s game starts to do that,” Roberts said, referring to the rain that delayed the start of Sunday’s game.

Like several of the Dodgers’ hitters, Betts was off to a slow start at the plate, going 5 for his first 28 (.179), although with a double and two home runs. Still, losing him is “a blow,” Roberts said.

“He’s Mookie Betts, so it certainly changes,” he said. “That’s the great thing about having the depth that a lot of teams don’t have. Being able to plug in a platoon at short and feel like you have good matchups is not all bad. And it gives other guys opportunities. But it’s a blow for sure.”

Kim could be the main beneficiary of this opportunity. He and Freeland competed for the final spot on the Dodgers’ roster this spring, with the Dodgers choosing Freeland. Kim was off to a good start in Triple-A, going 9 for 26 (.346) with a five-hit game.

“Just obviously playing the good defense that he’s been known to do, and he’ll be hitting somewhere at the bottom of the order,” Roberts said of his expectations for Kim. “And just take good at-bats. Take the walks when they’re there, control the strike zone. And not expect to carry us, but just be the player he is, bring energy, and it’s good to have him back. Obviously, not at the cost of Mookie, but he’s always additive when he’s around.”

UP NEXT

Dodgers (LHP Justin Wrobleski, 0-0, 6.75 ERA) at Blue Jays (RHP Max Scherzer, 1-0, 1.50 ERA), Monday, 4 p.m., SportsNet LA, Fox Sports 1, 570 AM

Orange County Register

News Details

Dodgers place Mookie Betts on IL with oblique strain, recall Hyeseong Kim

UP NEXT

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS