Mookie Betts is back in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup.
The shortstop was officially activated from the injured list before Monday’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants. He went 1-for-5 batting second in the lineup as L.A. lost 9-3 for its third straight defeat.
Betts was sidelined April 5 with a strained right oblique. During a game against the Washington Nationals, Betts said he felt pain in his right lower back while running the bases. He did not take the field in the bottom of the first inning and an MRI exam taken after the game revealed the oblique strain.
In the eight games he played before going on the IL, Betts was batting .179/.281/.429 with two home runs and seven RBI. Last season, he posted career-lows with a .258 batting average and .732 OPS while struggling early on with a stomach illness then changing his approach at the plate to compensate.
He finished with 20 home runs and 82 RBI, while playing excellent defense at shortstop (credited with 17 Defensive Runs Saved and 5 Outs Above Average).
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Betts’ return will be approached cautiously and he won’t play every day initially. The plan is for him to also play Tuesday and get a day off Wednesday. If all goes well, Betts will be in the lineup again Thursday.
Prior to the official roster move, the Dodgers cleared a spot for Betts by sending infielder Alex Freeland to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Freeland, 23, began the season as the starting second baseman and batted .235/.309/.337 in 112 plate appearances. He performed well defensively, credited with 4 Defensive Runs Saved and 3 Outs Above Average.
The Dodgers reportedly demoted Freeland so he could maintain regular playing time in the minors.
Other options included Hyeseong Kim, but he’s been hitting well since filling in for Betts at shortstop. His slash line is .289/.353/.395, demonstrating improvement that the Dodgers wanted to see. Santiago Espinal was also a possibility, but the team likes that he can reliably fill a utility role without requiring regular playing time.
