Dodgers Have No Idea How Mookie Betts Got Sick, Says Dave Roberts
Mookie Betts missed both games of the Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs due to an illness, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have no idea how their starting shortstop got sick.
According to manager Dave Roberts, Betts is expected to be in the lineup for the team’s domestic Opening Day on March 27 against the Detroit Tigers.
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Whatever illness Betts is sick with doesn’t appear to be contagious as none of his teammates have fallen ill. The biggest concern for the infielder is the amount of weight he has lost in a short amount of time.
Roberts said Betts lost “close to 15 pounds” due to the illness.
“The thing is when you lose a lot of weight, when you’re dehydrated, that’s what opens a person up to soft-tissue injuries,” Roberts said. “We’re very mindful of that. So to take the next week, call it, to build him back up, his strength, do some baseball activities to get ready for the home opener.”
Betts contracted the illness just before the team boarded its flight to Tokyo. He didn’t play in either of the team’s exhibition games and the Dodgers decided to him home early.
The illness has left everyone baffled.
“There’s still debate (about what caused it),” Roberts said. “I just don’t think what you eat would last a week.”
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Had the Dodgers known the illness would be lingering for multiple days, they might not have even brought him on the trip.
The Dodgers made it work without Betts, as they won both games of the Tokyo Series against the Cubs. Now, they’ll hope to get their superstar shortstop back for domestic Opening Day on March 27.
Photo Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
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