Dodgers' Mookie Betts Has No Set Timeline to Return From Oblique Injury

Just as the offense for the Los Angeles Dodgers started to get going, the team will now be without one of its key players for the foreseeable future.

Shortstop Mookie Betts left the team's game on Saturday against the Washington Nationals due to what the team called lower right back pain.

Betts underwent an MRI to determine the issue, and he will now miss some time as he was placed on the injured list with a right oblique strain.

Manager Dave Roberts didn't want to put a firm timeline on Betts' return, especially with the tricky nature of oblique injuries. Betts is very important to the three-peat chances of the Dodgers, so the team won't rush him back whatsoever.

Roberts did seem optimistic about the return timeline, though.

“I would take the under on [four to six weeks],” Roberts said. “But as far as putting a timeline, I’m really hesitant right now because [oblique injuries] are tricky.”

Roberts believes Betts may have suffered the injury on a check swing during Saturday's game. Betts didn't feel the injury until he was running the bases, and it was clear something was wrong when he got back to the dugout.

The Dodgers announced that Mookie Betts left Saturday's game in the first inning with right lower back pain.

He drew a walk and scored on a Freddie Freeman two-run double in the first inning but was seen slowly walking back to the dugout:pic.twitter.com/z10csRvMsh
— Noah Camras (@noahcamras) April 4, 2026

Betts had just gotten his swing going before the injury after a slow start, much like others in the lineup. This is certainly an unfortunate setback for all parties, but Roberts did say that Betts was in good spirits.

On the year, Betts has gone 5-for-28 (.179) with two home runs, seven runs batted in and an OPS of .710. The Dodgers called up infielder Hyeseong Kim from the minors to replace Betts on the roster.

Hyeseong Kim to Get Big Opportunity With Dodgers

Kim was great for Los Angeles during the spring, and many wondered why he didn't start the year with the big league club. This will now be his chance to prove himself to the Dodgers organization, even amid unfortunate circumstances.

Luckily for Los Angeles, the organization has strong depth, and they should be able to withstand losing Betts for a few weeks. However, it won't be easy to replace the star that Betts is, and Kim has some big shoes to fill.

“He’s Mookie Betts, so it certainly changes,” Roberts said of the lineup. “But that’s the great thing about having the depth that a lot of teams don’t have. Being able to plug in a platoon at short and feel like you have good matchups is not all bad. And it gives other guys opportunities. But it’s a blow for sure.”

Kim will now split time at shortstop with Miguel Rojas, while Alex Freeland plays the majority of his games at second base. Last season, Kim hit .280 with three home runs and 17 runs batted in, playing in 71 games for Los Angeles.

In spring, Kim did everything he could to campaign for a roster spot, hitting .407 with an OPS of .967 over nine games. He'll have a chance to continue that at the big league level.

He's expected to get his first start at shortstop on Monday against the Toronto Blue Jays in a World Series rematch.