Shortstop Mookie Betts has returned to Los Angeles to recover from an illness that kept him out of the Dodgers’ first two regular-season games at the Tokyo Dome.
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Manager Dave Roberts announced on Monday that eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts would miss the game against the Chicago Cubs due to an unspecified illness, per the Associated Press. The ailment has caused Betts to lose nearly 15 pounds. While he is reportedly feeling better, Roberts stated that Betts needed to return home to rest and recover in time for the team’s domestic opener on March 27.
“Mookie flew home early evening, late afternoon yesterday and arrived safely,” Roberts explained. “It just made the most sense for him to get back to a regular routine. That’s kind of where we’re at and we all support it.”
Betts began feeling unwell the day before the team departed for Japan, but the determined shortstop still joined the trip. Although he participated in a workout on Sunday, he quickly grew fatigued.
Betts is making the full-time switch to shortstop this season after spending the majority of his career at right field and second base. The 2018 AL MVP posted an impressive .289 batting average last season, along with 19 home runs and 75 RBIs, playing a pivotal role in the Dodgers’ World Series victory.
Mookie Betts Just Made a Major Move Toward His Second Most Beloved Sport…
Meanwhile, avid bowler Betts made headlines by purchasing the first announced team in the newly formed World Bowling League. League Sports Co., the league’s owner, announced the acquisition on Tuesday but did not disclose the financial details, according to ESPN.
Betts, alongside his business partner Cam Lewis from The One Marketing Group, is purchasing the team, the outlet reports. Together, they’ve decided to call it Team OMG.
According to ESPN, Betts grew up in Tennessee as a competitive bowler—a passion he continues to pursue today. In fact, the morning after celebrating his 30th birthday in 2022, he showcased his skill by bowling a perfect 300 game.
Of course, after a 98-win season and a World Series title, the Dodgers are aiming for another championship. This offseason, they bolstered their roster by signing star pitchers Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, re-signing slugger Teoscar Hernández, and strengthening the bullpen with Kirby Yates and Tanner Scott.