On Sunday, Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts sustained a fractured bone in his left wrist after being hit by a 98 mph fastball from Kansas City Royals pitcher Dan Altavilla. Despite surgery not being necessary, Betts will be out of play “for some time” and an exact timeline for his recovery is not yet known. The incident occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Dodgers leading 3-0, with a runner on base and a 1-2 count. Shortstop Miguel Rojas took Betts’ place on first base and on defense.
The focus shifted to Betts’ well-being after the victory for the Dodgers. A former MVP and seven-time All-Star, Betts has been an integral part of the Dodgers lineup for the past three seasons. He was on track for another All-Star selection this year, boasting impressive stats of .307 batting average, .407 on-base percentage, and 10 home runs. Besides Betts, the Dodgers also faced injury concerns with rookie starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto being placed on the injured list due to a triceps injury after exiting Saturday’s game early. Further testing will determine the extent of Yamamoto’s injury.