WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Mookie Betts\u2019 pursuit of a bounce-back season could be put on hold.<\/p>\n
Betts left Saturday\u2019s game after running the bases in the first inning and feeling pain in the right side of his lower back. Betts drew a walk and scored from first on a double by Freddie Freeman.<\/p>\n
Betts was scheduled to undergo an MRI Saturday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll know more later,\u201d Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly more modera*te than significant. So like I said, we\u2019ll know more tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Roberts said Betts won\u2019t play Sunday against the Washington Nationals, and his availability for the series in Toronto beginning Monday won\u2019t be determined until after the results of the MRI are known. Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland are available to play shortstop in the interim. Still, the Dodgers could bring a player from Triple-A (Hyeseong Kim or Ryan Fitzgerald are the most likely) to place on the taxi squad and activate if Betts has to go on the injured list.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to get too far ahead of what we\u2019re gonna do. But we\u2019ll see,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cWe\u2019ll huddle up and see if we need to get a player here to protect us, depending on how the MRI comes. But yeah, he certainly won\u2019t be playing the next couple days, I would assume.\u201d<\/p>\n
A virus that sapped his strength<\/a> early last year led to the worst offensive season of Betts\u2019 career in 2025 \u2014 though he was a Gold Glove finalist after moving to shortstop. This spring, he was encouraged by regaining strength and bat speed. Like many of the Dodgers\u2019 hitters, though, he was off to a slow start \u2013 5 for 28 (.179), though with two doubles and a home run.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m disappointed for him because we\u2019re sort of starting to get going a little bit, and the way he\u2019s playing defense, and he\u2019s a big part of what we do,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cAny time you miss, it\u2019s gonna take some time to kind of get your footing. So disappointed for him, but hopeful that it\u2019s not long term.\u201d<\/p>\n CALL BACK<\/p>\n Alex Call got his first start of the season on Saturday, spelling Teoscar Hernandez in left field. Hernandez also came out of Friday\u2019s game early, but Roberts said this is not a signal that he intends to handle Hernandez more carefully this year. Last year, Hernandez suffered a groin muscle injury in May that affected him all season and was a factor in his poor defense in right field at times.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know, not really,\u201d Roberts said when asked. \u201cI think obviously (he had) the leg injury, which I think he was kind of battling with a lot of the year, but I feel that he\u2019s in much better shape this year. He\u2019s healthy. And I think this is more for me, kind of trying to get his footing before we kind of let him run loose. Six in a row\u2019s a lot (before the team\u2019s next off day). We\u2019re going to play three games on turf in Toronto. I want him for all three games there. So how can we kind of introduce Alex into the season, get (Hernandez) off his feet.\u201d<\/p>\n Call will also start on Sunday in right field. Roberts said he will give Tucker the day off against a left-handed starter.<\/p>\n