LOS ANGELES — After a slight setback in his recovery from a right oblique strain, Mookie Betts insisted Wednesday that he remains ahead of schedule in his recovery.
Betts progressed to taking ground balls on the field before Wednesday’s game against the Miami Marlins and has limited his hitting to the batting cage of late. He admitted to some soreness after a recent on-field batting practice session.
“Just adding on velocity (in the batting cage), try it and if it gets sore then we’ll go back to the drawing board,” Betts said. “Just go slow. You just don’t want to reaggravate anything because then you’re out three months instead of six weeks.
When he was placed on the injured list April 5, Betts was given the typical oblique-strain recovery time of four to six weeks. The four-week mark officially will be Sunday when the team is playing at St. Louis.
The six-week mark will be May 17, with Betts suggesting he could be on the field before then.
“Originally, the doctor said six weeks (worst-case scenario) … and it’s actually the opposite where it hasn’t taken as long,” Betts said. “I’m actually kind of ahead of where most obliques are.”
With the team heading into Wednesday’s series finale at 20-10 on the season and in first place in the National League West, Betts has less temptation to take shortcuts with his rehab.
“The boys are playing well, and I don’t have to overly rush back,” he said. “I can make sure they’re doing everything they need to do so I can just kind of sit back and watch.”
When he went down with his injury, Betts had played just eight games this season and was batting .179 in 28 at-bats with two home runs and seven RBIs. Wednesday’s series finale against the Marlins was the 23rd game he has missed.
BETTS SAYS HE’S NO LEBRON
Betts was set to attend the Lakers’ Game 5 against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena. With the Lakers up 3-1 in the best-of-seven first-round series, Betts was confident he would see a series-clinching victory.
“You would think so with LeBron (James) playing well,” Betts said, while also asking about the playing status of Austin Reaves and complimenting the play of Rui Hachimura.
So does the play of the 41-year-old James give the 33-year-old Betts any inspiration to extend his own career beyond his current 12-year deal that ends in 2032?
“Not at all. I’m nothing like LeBron,” Betts said. “I want to be with my kids at 45.
“We’ll see. We’ll get to the end here (of the current contract) and we’ll see. But I’m probably going home after this.”
REST AND RECHARGE
The Dodgers have an off day Thursday, ending a run of 13 consecutive games that has been their longest of the season so far. The team will now get consecutive Thursdays off before another 13-game run next month. A third will come later this season.
The 13 consecutive games are the longest of the season barring any makeup games that could result from future rainouts.
Manager Dave Roberts has managed the stretch with six different starting pitchers and has left-hander Blake Snell close to a return from a shoulder injury. The Dodgers have not used an opener out of the bullpen to start a game, as of yet.
Before Wednesday’s game, Dodgers starters had a combined 2.82 ERA and a .204 opponents’ batting average to lead the National League and 175⅔ innings pitched to lead MLB.
Since April 6, the rotation entered with a 10-3 record while leading MLB in ERA (2.26) and WHIP (1.01) in that time.
BIRD CATCHERS
The Dodgers set their rotation for the three-game series at St. Louis, with right-hander Emmet Sheehan starting Friday against the Cardinals. He will be followed by right-hander Roki Sasaki on Saturday and left-hander Justin Wrobleski on Sunday.
The trio has just three starts combined against the Cardinals in their careers and only Wrobleski has ever pitched at St. Louis.
The group also pitched all three games of the recent home series against the Chicago Cubs and combined for a 2.59 ERA over 17⅓ innings, with Sasaki accounting for four of the five earned runs they allowed.
Sheehan and Sasaki will be making their sixth starts of the season, Wrobleski will be making his fifth.
The series could be something of an audition for each starter to remain in the rotation once Snell makes his season debut. Snell is set for an upcoming rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City after the first two were with Single-A Ontario.
UP NEXT
After an off day Thursday, Dodgers (RHP Emmet Sheehan, 2-0, 4.78 ERA) at Cardinals (LHP Matthew Liberatore, 0-1, 4.75), 5:15 p.m. PT Friday, SportsNet LA, 570 AM, 1020 AM