Mookie Betts Suffered Setback With Oblique Injury, Delaying Return to Dodgers

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts has been out due to an oblique injury since April 4, when he left the team's game against the Washington Nationals early.

While there was no set timeline for his return, the Dodgers expected it to be somewhere in the four-to-six week range, as LA wanted to take a cautious approach to his recovery.

Betts has been recovering well, and finally started taking some swings with the bat recently. But the star infielder said he felt some soreness when taking batting practice on the field, which is a minor setback in his injury recovery.

Betts stopped his progression for a couple days, allowing him more time to rest. But now, he is back on the path to recovery, and he said that he has "turned a corner" for him to start up again.

Mookie Betts said he felt some soreness in his oblique a couple days back when he started taking BP on the field. So they backed off. He’s been hitting in the cage the last couple days and feels he’s “turned a corner” for them to try to start that up again.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) April 29, 2026

Oblique injuries can be tricky when it comes to recovery, so the Dodgers have been very patient in how they've attacked his rehab. The last thing that either side wants is for Betts to return to the team, only to deal with some lingering issues due to the injury.

Betts appears to be set for a return to the Dodgers in early to mid-May, assuming the oblique doesn't flare up again. Thus far, his progression from the injury has been pretty much on schedule, and the team is encouraged by the process.

Before he suffered the injury, Betts had hit .179 with two home runs, seven runs batted in and an OPS of .710. The shortstop had gotten off to a slow start at the plate, but like others on the team, he was just starting to pick things up before he got hurt.

Los Angeles doesn't need Betts to rush back from the injury, which is why they're taking a cautious approach to his recovery. After Betts suffered the injury, the Dodgers called up Hyeseong Kim to replace him in the lineup, and the team hasn't missed a beat.

Kim has done very well for the Dodgers in his opportunity, with manager Dave Roberts calling him a "spark plug" recently. While Kim isn't on the same level as Betts as a player, the young infielder has helped this team navigate the loss of the star in the best way possible.

For the year, Kim has hit .294 with one home run and seven runs batted in. His defense has been excellent for Los Angeles as well, giving the team a well-rounded player in place of Betts.

Due to Kim's performance, the Dodgers will have a tough decision to make when Betts does eventually return.

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