Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts suffered a fractured left hand after being hit by a 97.9mph fastball Sunday vs. the Kansas City Royals.
The versatile infielder appears to have avoided the need to undergo a surgical procedure, however according to manager Dave Roberts, he’s likely to be out for a significant period of time.
“It’s a big blow. I feel bad for Mookie because he’s having an MVP-type season,” Roberts said. The club has yet to issue any kind of timeline for a possible return for the 31 year old.
When asked what’s next for him by reporters after the game, Betts responded “I’m honestly not sure… Obviously, I’ll be watching the boys and cheering them on. Other than that, just kind of rest, maybe use it as a mental break and be ready to go whenever it heals up.”
The 5’9″ righty is currently batting .307 with 50 runs scored, 40 RBIs, 9 SB, and 10 HRs on the year. His .893 OPS ranks 6th in the National League, while his 86 hits on the year rank him 3rd in the NL trailing only Luis Arraez and William Contreras.
LA, who currently sit 8 games clear of the Padres for 1st in the NL West at 44-29 travel to Colorado on Monday to open up a 4 game series vs. the Rockies. At the moment it doesn’t appear as though Betts will travel with the team.
Photo: Erik Drost. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.