Mookie Betts' Return Suddenly Imminent, Setting Up Difficult Decision for Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers got some great news on Thursday, as the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets announced Mookie Betts would be starting a rehab assignment on Friday.

The announcement revealed that Betts is scheduled to play on Friday and Saturday, hinting that it could be a very quick rehab assignment for the Dodgers' shortstop.

BREAKING: Eight-time All-Star, four-time World Series champ and former MVP Mookie Betts is scheduled to play for the Comets Friday & Saturday as part of a Major League Rehab Assignment!

🎟️: https://t.co/eeScJIhiNv

(Note: Scheduled rehab assignments are subject to change.) pic.twitter.com/ihauVeAsHH
— Oklahoma City Comets (@OKC_comets) May 7, 2026

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported that Betts' return to the Dodgers could come as soon as Monday. He says Betts is expected to travel back to Los Angeles on Sunday, and then the organization "will evaluate his status before a potential activation on Monday against the San Francisco Giants."

Betts faced live pitching on Thursday at Dodger Stadium, as manager Dave Roberts mentioned he would. The fact that he's starting a rehab assignment on Friday clearly means it went well.

Betts has been out since April 4 when he left a game against the Washington Nationals after injuring his oblique, which he felt while running the bases. While there was no firm timeline on his return, the hope was that he'd be back within six weeks. Monday would mark just over five weeks since the injury.

Betts was off to a slow start this season, hitting .179 with two home runs, seven RBIs and an OPS of .710. He had a career-worst .732 OPS in 2025.

Dodgers Have Tough Decision to Make When Mookie Betts Return

While the Dodgers are very excited to get Betts — an eight-time All-Star — back, it also sets up a very difficult decision about who he'll be replacing on the roster.

When Betts went on the injured list, the Dodgers called up Hyeseong Kim, who opened the season in Triple-A.

Kim lost the job for the final roster spot out of spring training to Alex Freeland, as the team wanted the Korean infielder to get everyday at-bats in Triple-A. The injury to Betts opened the door for him to get that at the major league level.

Kim has been in a platoon at shortstop with Miguel Rojas, while Freeland has gotten a majority of the opportunities at second base. However, Kim has done nothing to warrant being sent back down to the minor leagues.

Across 26 games, Kim is hitting .314 with one home run, eight runs batted in, five stolen bases and an OPS of .800. He's also played incredible defense at shortstop, while drawing consistent praise from his manager.

“It seems like every time he gets out there, he does something to help us win,” Roberts said recently. “So, can’t give him any [higher] praise. He’s always prepared, and he is a spark plug for us, on both sides of the baseball.”

As for Freeland, he also hasn't done anything that would warrant a demotion. Across 31 games, he's hitting .253 with two home runs, eight RBIs and an OPS of .693. The Dodgers chose Freeland over Kim out of camp. It's hard to imagine them suddenly reversing course this time around.

If the Dodgers want to keep both Kim and Freeland on the roster, the only other option (barring an injury to someone) would be designating Santiago Espinal for assignment.

Espinal was a surprise addition to the Dodgers' Opening Day roster after a strong camp. He's seen sporadic playing time this year, going 5-for-27 (.185) with an OPS of .444.

Espinal doesn't have options like Kim and Freeland, so the Dodgers would risk losing him to another team if they removed him from the roster. However, if they wanted to keep Kim and Freeland at the big league level, that appears to be the only clear option.

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