LOS ANGELES — It has become a part of Mookie Betts’ baseball calendar the past two years.
After struggling through July last year, Betts declared his season over in early August, accepting that his stat line for the season was not going to be what he wanted and just focusing on the nightly challenge of contributing to a win.
It worked on both fronts. Betts hit .317 with an .892 OPS over his final 47 games of the regular season.
In early August this year, Betts was in the doldrums again, batting .223 with a .692 OPS. He was asked if he needed to make that same mental pivot.
“No, I did that earlier this season,” he said during the Dodgers’ series at Wrigley Field. “I just want to help us win. That’s really it.”
Betts had a four-hit game the next day and has had another late-season rebirth. In his past 29 games through Sunday, he was 35 for 114 (.307) with an .887 OPS, five home runs and 22 RBIs.
“I guess one thought is in the early part of the season, he’s trying to build a season, and it’s ups and downs of the season,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the pattern to Betts’ past two seasons. “I think at some point he just kind of puts that to the side and just focuses on helping the team win. Not to say that he’s trying not to try to help the team win early on, but I think that in his eyes, the season’s lost as far as the stats. And so now it just, in a weird way, takes the pressure off trying to have a great season. Then it gets to be a little bit more focused on each game and frees him up a little bit.”
Betts doesn’t want to analyze it that much.
“I’ve been able to put good at-bats together, hit the ball hard consistently, and again, just try to keep on going, keep on going, and stay in the moment,” he said. “That’s the main thing. Don’t let prior at-bats dictate what’s going on right now, and don’t think about the future.”
HE’S BACK
Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup on Monday after getting four days off to address his troublesome left knee and right biceps. Tommy Edman was 7 for 17 as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter in Ohtani’s absence but Roberts returned Ohtani to his accustomed leadoff spot.
Since moving Ohtani from second to first in the order midway through the 2024 season (after Betts suffered a fractured hand when he was hit by a pitch on June 16), Roberts has not batted him anywhere else in the lineup – though almost every other hitter has been subject to change.
“I think he’s our best hitter. I think the best player should have the most latitude,” said Roberts, leaving unspoken Ohtani’s preference for the leadoff spot. “That’s part of my thought. Is it forever? I don’t know. Is it until the end of the season? I don’t know yet. But I think that’s probably the answer.”
Ohtani also has a decided preference for pitching and being a two-way player. But Roberts said again Monday that Ohtani’s throwing is on hold. Given how late in the regular season it is, that likely means Ohtani will not pitch again this season. But Roberts chose to say the Dodgers had “put a pin in throwing” for now and have Ohtani focus on hitting.
“That means that it’s not dead but we have no timetable for when he’s going to pick up a baseball,” Roberts said.
The decision to shut down Ohtani’s pitching was based on “what’s best for the team, No. 1, and 1-A, what’s best for him,” Roberts said.
“Yes, he loves pitching, loves being a two-way player,” he said. “But it just doesn’t make any sense right now.”
PAGES PROGRESS
A little over two weeks after he suffered a fracture in his left hand, Andy Pages is pain free and swinging a bat, hitting off a tee.
“If it were up to him, he’d be playing tonight,” Roberts said.
“I’m actually not (surprised by his quick recovery). I think this guy has got a crazy desire and youth is a good thing. But bones still have to heal.”
Roberts said Pages could go to Camelback Ranch in Arizona this weekend to continue his recovery while the Dodgers are on the road or even start a rehab assignment in the minors.
“He’s coming quickly,” Roberts said.
The original prognosis was four to five weeks before Pages would return.
ROSTER MOVE
In order to promote right-hander Emmet Sheehan for his start on Monday, the Dodgers sent right-hander Bobby Miller back to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Miller made his first MLB appearance since May 2025 in Sunday night’s victory over the Washington Nationals and was credited with his first MLB win since August 2024 after allowing one run in three innings of relief.
UP NEXT
Reds (LHP Nick Lodolo, 3-3, 5.08 ERA) at Dodgers (LHP Tarik Skubal, 8-7, 2.86 ERA), Tuesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM