Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is still recuperating from the flu.
Manager Dave Roberts said on Monday, March 17, that Betts, 32, would not play in the two-game Tokyo Series against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19. (Miguel Rojas will start in Betts’ place.)
The short stop is reportedly feeling better but has lost nearly 15 pounds and is trying to stay hydrated and gain strength back. Roberts noted that Betts may fly to the U.S. before the team to rest for the domestic opener on March 27.
“The thing is when you lose a lot of weight, when you’re dehydrated, that’s what opens a person up to soft-tissue injuries,” Roberts said, per MLB. “We’re very mindful of that. So to take the next week, call it, to build him back up, his strength, do some baseball activities to get ready for the home opener.”
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Betts began suffering from symptoms at the MLB team’s spring training home in Arizona the day before they left for Japan. While Betts boarded the plane, Roberts said that the athlete wouldn’t have traveled if the team knew how long he’d be recuperating. Betts reportedly tried to workout on Sunday, March 16, but quickly became tired.
Betts previously gushed in January that he had an “awesome” time during a separate trip to Tokyo, Japan, for a baseball camp with kids. “Had a great time in Japan!” he captioned his Instagram post at the time. “All the experiences were a blast but nothing compares to spending time with kids and seeing them have fun enjoying the game we all love!
Betts won the World Series with the Dodgers in 2024, defeating the New York Yankees. (Betts previously won the World Series in 2018 with the Boston Red Sox and 2020 with the Dodgers.)
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In October 2024, Mookie received support from his wife, Brianna, and their two children. After the win, the family posed for a photo with The Commissioner’s Trophy in hand. “LA!
,” Brianna wrote via Instagram at the time. (The pair welcomed daughter Kynlee Ivory in November 2018 and son Kaj Lynn in April 2023.)
Mookie, for his part, gushed over the accomplishment. “Three rings, three unforgettable teams. Each one special, but this year… this team, this season, it’s different,” he wrote via Instagram at the time. “Thank you to everyone who believed through it all!”
