Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Mookie Betts left Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Royals with a fractured left wrist after being hit by a 98 mph fastball.
Coach Dave Roberts told reporters after the game that Betts doesn’t expect to need surgery but will be out for “some time.” An exact prognosis or timeline was not immediately available.
The injury occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning with Los Angeles leading 3-0. With a runner on first and the count at 1-2, Royals relief pitcher Dan Altavilla hit Betts on the left hand with a 98 mph inside fastball. Betts immediately fell to the ground and left the game holding his hand in pain.
Shortstop Miguel Rojas advanced to first base for Betts and replaced him as the starting shortstop, and although Altavilla induced a lineout by Shohei Ohtani to end the inning, the Dodgers held on to win the game, 3โ0.
A bigger concern than the results in Los Angeles was the health of Betts, a seven-time All-Star who was the reigning MVP with the Boston Red Sox and made the All-Star team each of the past three seasons with the Dodgers. Betts entered Sunday in line for another All-Star appearance after batting .307/.407/.493 with 10 home runs, 40 RBI and nine stolen bases in 71 games.
The Dodgers started Sunday with some significant injury news when rookie starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto was placed on the disabled list with a triceps injury. Yamamoto left Saturday’s game against Kansas City after pitching two innings and is scheduled to undergo further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.