Dave Roberts Clarifies Mookie Betts’ 10-Day IL Status
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is making progress in his recovery, but he is set to miss more time after his 10-day injured list placement. Betts suffered a n oblique injury back during the Washington Nationals series on the road. He suffered pain while running the bases against the Nationals at the top of the first inning.
He was immediately replaced with Miguel Rojas, and what was first thought to be a back injury was actually an oblique issue. As a result of the MRI that confirmed the oblique injury, Betts was placed on the 10-day injured list, giving him more than a week to get healthy, and the Dodgers called up Hyeseong Kim from Triple-A. Apr 3, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates with Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) after hitting a two run home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at Nationals Park.
Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images On Friday, before the series opener against the Texas Rangers, manager Dave Roberts revealed that the shortstop is “symptom-free, so he feels good and he’s not feeling anything,” but he said the 10-day injured list likely won’t be enough for him. Who is replacing Mookie Betts? In the wake of Betts’ injury, Miguel Rojas and Hyeseong Kim have been sharing the shortstop responsibilities.
Kim is the player who faces right-handed pitchers, while Rojas is platooned against lefties. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) Additionally, Alex Freeland and Santiago Espinal are both options at shortstop if needed, though they seem to be being relegated to other roles. Freeland is the de facto starting second baseman with Rojas and Kim focusing on shortstop .
Espinal, on the other hand, is filling in when needed and is placed lower on the depth chart. Kim and Freeland are the two players who are benefiting the most from consistent playing time at either second base or shortstop, especially Kim, who just missed out on the Opening Day roster. Both are taking advantage of the opportunities thus far, and Betts will seemingly offer them more time to prove themselves in the big leagues.