LOS ANGELES >> At least the Dodgers gained some certainty about Mookie Betts’ status Sunday.
Betts won’t play until at least August 1 after the Dodgers placed him on the 10-day injured list with right hip inflammation prior to their series finale against the Colorado Rockies. The IL stint was backdated three days, the maximum allowed by Major League Baseball.
The injury had been bothering Betts for a while. He did not participate in the All-Star game earlier this month, and only started the first two games after the break. Betts remained on the active roster for another seven games but only batted once, striking out as a pinch hitter in Monday’s game against the Giants.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts received a cortisone injection to treat the pain earlier in the week.
“I know he wants to get in there,” Roberts said Saturday, “but the pain is just not allowing for him to be in there. Hopefully, with this shot, it will dissipate and we can get him back out there moving around and then get into the lineup.”
Betts is hitting .270 with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs in 82 games this season. He had been heating up at the plate in July, hitting .370 with a .417 on-base percentage and a .685 slugging percentage in 14 games.
The Dodgers begin a three-game series against the Giants Tuesday in San Francisco. Right field duties could fall to newcomer Billy McKinney, who got his fourth consecutive start there Sunday.
Reliever Jimmy Nelson was activated from the 10-day IL in a corresponding roster move. Nelson, who missed 12 games with right forearm inflammation, is 1-1 with a 2.00 earned-run average in 25 games this season.
FORTY YEARS GONE
Twenty-two members of the 1981 Dodgers team gathered at Dodger Stadium for a pregame ceremony honoring the 40th anniversary of their World Series championship. The group included 18 players, coaches Mark Cresse and Manny Mota, public relations director (and future general manager) Fred Claire, and owner Peter O’Malley.
Players included Mark Bradley, Candy Maldonado, Ron Roenicke, Pepe Frias, Alejandro Peña, Tom Niedenfuer, Steve Sax, Derrel Thomas, Ken Landreaux, Jerry Reuss, Burt Hooton, Steve Yeager, Pedro Guerrero, Ron Cey, Bill Russell, Steve Garvey, Rick Monday and Fernando Valenzuela.
After each man was introduced to the crowd individually, the three co-MVPs of the 1981 World Series ― Yeager, Guerrero and Cey ― threw ceremonial first pitches to Austin Barnes, Corey Seager, and Justin Turner respectively.
Alexander: 1981 Dodgers’ World Series journey should sound familiar
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ALSO
Cody Bellinger was held out of the starting lineup for the second straight game because of tightness in his left hamstring. “The training staff feels if we can give him another day (off Sunday), the off-day, re-assess, there’s a much better chance he’ll be in the lineup Tuesday,” Roberts said. … Bellinger grounded out in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter. … The Giants will start right-hander Logan Webb, right-hander Anthony DeSclafani and right-hander Johnny Cueto in that order during the three-game series in San Francisco beginning Tuesday. … The Dodgers will counter with Julio Urías on Tuesday, Walker Buehler on Wednesday, and David Price on Thursday.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers have an off-day Monday.
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