Dodgers Placing Mookie Betts on IL With Concerning Injury, Calling Up Hyeseong Kim

The Los Angeles Dodgers are placing shortstop Mookie Betts on the injured list and calling up infielder Hyeseong Kim to take his spot.

Manager Dave Roberts revealed that Betts has a right oblique strain.

Dave Roberts said Mookie Betts’ MRI revealed a right oblique strain. Thinks it happened on a check-swing in his at-bat yesterday

He’s going on the IL. Hyeseong Kim will be activated
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) April 5, 2026

Betts was forced to leave the Dodgers' 10-5 win over the Washington Nationals on Saturday in the first inning with what the team initially called right lower back pain.

Betts underwent an MRI on Saturday night while Kim traveled to Washington to join the team ahead of Sunday's series finale.

The MRI revealed an oblique strain, which could sideline Betts for significant time. Roberts is hoping he's back within a month.

Betts left the game after scoring from first base on a double from Freddie Freeman. He was seen walking gingerly back to the dugout, and was immediately lifted from the game.

Roberts believes Betts may have suffered the oblique strain on a check swing.

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 got off to a slow start this season but had his first multi-hit game on Friday in the series opener against the Nationals. Overall, the shortstop is 5-for-28 (.179) with two home runs, seven runs batted in and an OPS of .710.

Hyeseong Kim Could Get Extended Opportunity With Dodgers

As for Kim, the second-year MLB infielder entered spring training in a competition for the final roster spot.

Kim did everything he could, hitting .407 with an OPS of .967 across nine Cactus League games. However, Alex Freeland won the spot, partly because the Dodgers wanted Kim to continue getting everyday at-bats.

“It was probably the toughest decision of the spring,”Roberts said in camp. “There’s no doubt that Hyeseong at some point is going to come help us out.

“I think the driver as far as the outset, is giving Hyeseong the opportunity to play every day, play all over the diamond; he’s going to play some short, some center, some second base there. Whereas here, he wouldn’t have the runway to play more frequently."

Kim has continued to hit well early in the Triple-A season, hitting .346 with an OPS of .822. Now, he'll get an opportunity to fill in for Betts over at least the next couple of weeks — and potentially longer.

How Will Dodgers Replace Mookie Betts?

The Dodgers now have three Betts replacements to shuffle through in Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland and Miguel Rojas.

All three players can play both shortstop and second base, and they'll likely cycle through the positions over the next few weeks.

Roberts said he expects Kim and Rojas to man shortstop more, with Freeland focusing on second base.

Freeland, who won the job over Kim this spring, is 3-for-16 (.188) with one home run and an OPS of .753 thus far this season. Rojas is 4-for-14 (.286) with an OPS of .624.

Rojas is a right-handed hitter, Kim is a left-handed hitter and Freeland is a switch hitter.

Dodgers Lineup on Sunday vs Nationals

The Dodgers have Rojas at shortstop and Freeland at second base for Sunday's series finale against the Nationals with the left-handed Foster Griffin on the mound.

Kyle Tucker, Max Muncy and Will Smith are getting the days off, with Alex Call, Santiago Espinal and Dalton Rushing getting starts.

Shohei Ohtani, DH
Miguel Rojas, SS
Teoscar Hernández, LF
Freddie Freeman, 1B
Andy Pages, CF
Alex Call, RF
Santiago Espinal, 3B
Dalton Rushing, C
Alex Freeland, 2B