Mookie Betts closes in on Dodgers return as Dave Roberts reveals key next step
It will be nice for the defending champs to have him back.
Mookie Betts closes in on Dodgers return as Dave Roberts reveals key next step originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Los Angeles Dodgers have gotten off to a strong start in 2026, but it has come with a noticeable absence.
Mookie Betts, now transitioning into an everyday shortstop role, has been out of the lineup since early April, missing 26 games with a right oblique strain. Even with a 21–13 start, the Dodgers have felt that gap. Betts is more than a former MVP.
He sets the tone at the top of the order and stabilizes a position that still carries questions. Now, there is finally a clear sign that his return is getting closer. Dave Roberts points to a turning point Manager Dave Roberts offered the most encouraging update yet ahead of the Dodgers’ series against the Houston Astros .
Betts is scheduled to face live pitching Thursday, a critical checkpoint in any hitter’s recovery process. If that session goes well, Roberts indicated a rehab assignment could begin shortly after. That matters because live pitching is often the final real test.