Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Out Of Starting Lineup For Red Sox Series Opener
The Dodgers will be without one of their top players
The Boston Red Sox are hosting the Los Angeles Dodgers at Fenway Park this weekend, but the defending World Series champs will be without one of their most important players in Friday’s series opener.
As expected, Mookie Betts is not in the Dodgers’ starting lineup for Friday night’s game. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said earlier in the week that Betts may miss the game due to “personal reasons,” so his absence doesn’t come as a surprise.
Betts will be replaced at shortstop by utilityman Miguel Rojas, who’s batting .250/.305/.421 with six home runs, 14 RBI and 0.8 WAR in 62 games this year.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani slides from the two-hole back to the leadoff spot, where he’s spent most of the season before Roberts moved Betts there last Sunday.
While Betts’ absence was expected, it’s still disappointing news for Red Sox fans who were hoping to see him in action Friday night. Betts starred for Boston from 2014 to 2019, winning a World Series ring and AL MVP honors in 2018 before being traded to the Dodgers prior to the 2020 season.
Betts has continued to flourish on the West Coast, making four All-Star teams and adding two more World Series rings to his collection. He’s having a down season year, however, batting .238/.309/.370 (all career lows) with 11 homers, 45 RBI, six steals and 2.3 WAR in 94 games.
Betts also sat out last Saturday’s game against the Milwaukee Brewers, so this is already the second game he’s missed since the All-Star Break. It’s unclear when he will return to Los Angeles’ lineup, although his next chance to play will be on Saturday.
The Dodgers have struggled lately, losing 11 of their last 15 games. They’ll try to persevere without Betts against a Red Sox team that’s coming off arguably its biggest win of the season over the Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.
