Mookie Betts Takes a Mental Day as Dodgers Face White Sox

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is out of the starting lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Chicago White Sox. Manager Dave Roberts stated that Betts is taking “a mental day” and aims to rejuvenate before the crucial three-game series.

Betts has struggled this season, currently hitting .249 with an OPS+ of 99, which is slightly below the league average. Over the last 20 games, his performance has dropped dramatically with a .175 batting average, a .241 on-base percentage, and a .263 slugging percentage, resulting in an OPS of just .504. In that time, he struck out 12 times and drove in nine runs in 80 at-bats.

Despite these struggles, Betts remains valuable on the field, maintaining a strikeout rate of 10.2%, placing him in the 97th percentile among major league players. Additionally, his defensive skills are hard to overlook, as he ranks in the 94th percentile for Outs Above Average. However, he has faced challenges specifically with breaking balls this season, achieving only a .139 average against them, compared to his .250 average last season.

Hyeseong Kim will fill in for Betts at shortstop, while the Dodgers are set to face rookie right-hander Shane Smith, who holds a 3.38 ERA this year. The Dodgers will counter with Yoshinobu Yamamoto, boasting a 2.61 ERA and an ERA+ of 152. Yamamoto has struck out 101 batters and allowed only 31 walks over 16 starts.

The game is set to begin at 7:10 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on MLB Network and SNLA. The Dodgers, standing with the best record in baseball, hope to continue their success against the White Sox, who rank among the bottom teams in MLB.