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Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts left Thursday’s game on crutches after suffering a foot injury.
Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reported that the seven-time All-Star left the team’s game against the Miami Marlins after fouling a pitch off of his foot. Plunkett reported that the x-rays were negative but that he did leave the stadium on crutches.
Bill Plunkett @billplunkettocr
#Dodgers Mookie Betts left the game early. Fouled a ball off his foot. X-rays negative. But he was on crutches leaving the stadium.
Betts was replaced in the lineup by Michael Busch in the eighth inning of Thursday’s game while James Outman came in at center field.
The negative diagnosis is a huge positive for Betts’ long-term help but that does not mean he won’t be out day-to-day. Proceeding with caution is the likely course of action for the team as they are 85-54 and have a 13-game lead on the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the NL West.
Still, the team is still chasing the Atlanta Braves for the best record in the National League and that distinction would signal home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Dodgers currently are six games behind the Braves for that distinction and Betts missing any time makes catching up even harder.
Betts is hitting .313 with 38 home runs and 99 RBIs thus far in 2023. He has been the Dodgers best player in a loaded lineup and is vying for the NL MVP Award with Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr.
Betts was an MVP in 2018 but that was in the American League when he was with the Boston Red Sox. If he were to win the award, he would join Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson as the only players in league history to win a MVP Award in both leagues.
