It has been one of the most highly anticipated series of the season, with one of the most historic franchises in the National League–the Dodgers–making a rare visit to Fenway Park and one of the most historic franchises in the American League. It’s something that has happened only in four series before the one that opens on Friday.
One of the nifty subplots of the series is that it marks a return of star outfielder Mookie Betts, or at least, it was supposed to. Betts remains one of the most popular players in recent Red Sox history, spending the first six years of his career in Boston–and the trade that sent him to the Dodgers also remains one of the most unpopular in the team’s history.
But Betts is dealing with a personal off-field issue and is not even in Boston as of Friday night, when the Red Sox and Dodgers get their series started.
Mookie Betts Will Rejoin This Weekend
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said from Fenway on Friday that he does expect to see Betts in Boston this weekend, though it remains uncertain whether he will play. Betts could be in town by gametime on Saturday evening, meaning he could pinch hit tomorrow and/or play on Sunday.
As beat writer Fabian Ardaya wrote on Twitter/X, “Dave Roberts said Mookie Betts is expected to arrive in Boston tomorrow around first pitch. TBD if he will be in the lineup. He’s away from the team for personal reasons.”
Dodgers fans have had concerns about Betts after Roberts said, cryptically, on Wednesday, “There might be some things going on that he might not be around, that he’s got to deal with personally. Everything is OK with him, but yeah, we’ll see.”
Dodgers Dealing With Star’s Slump
But knowing Betts will be back with the team this weekend at least offers some comfort. The other issue with Betts, though, is that he is mired in one of the worst slumps of his career, well past the midway point of the season.
Betts is batting .238, which is a career low. He has an on-base percentage of .309, also a career low. His .370 slugging percentage is, to no surprise, a career low, as is his .679 OPS. It’s a truly uncharacteristic year for Betts.
There have been a number of theories behind Betts’ struggles, including his trouble hitting the slider as well as his position change from the outfield to, last year, third base and on to shortstop this year.
“I’ve never done this,” Betts told Ardaya this week. “It’s all new. I’ve never been this bad for this long.”
Mookie Betts: ‘I Haven’t Figured it Out’
Betts is 32, but if age is part of the reason for this year’s decline, then it comes as a big surprise because he’s shown few signs of backtracking in recent years. He struggled with injuries last season, but still hit .289 with 19 homers and an .863 OPS in 116 games.
“It’s very difficult,” Betts said. “I haven’t figured it out. So, obviously, it’s super difficult. But I’ll tell you one thing: I definitely love the process of it. I definitely love the process of trying to figure out who I am, where I’m at, the work. I haven’t found it, and it sucks. Going out there every night, going 0-for-4, that part of the day truly sucks. But you see it. All day, I’m out here working and hitting, and I love it. I love that. It’s the best part.”
Dodgers Announce Significant Mookie Betts Update