Mookie Betts is back to swinging progressions, but the Dodgers still do not have a timetable for his return. Manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Betts, who has missed more than two weeks with a right oblique strain, will “take a while” before he is back in the lineup.
The injury came April 5 against the Washington Nationals and sent Betts to the 10-day injured list shortly after. Since then, he has worked through med ball throws and light throwing, but has not yet hit in a game-like setting. Oblique strains for position players are often treated as four- to six-week recoveries, and most projections now point to a return sometime in May.
Betts said he can throw without issue and that running feels manageable, but he also said he has not started swinging a bat. He said the Dodgers are putting a premium on full comfort with med ball work before moving him forward to hitting. “It’s just an oblique, and it’s going to take time,” Betts said, a reminder that the injury can linger even when the player feels close to moving on.
The Dodgers have been careful for another reason: Betts dealt with an oblique injury last season, and the club has wanted to avoid creating bad habits at the plate while he recovers. That caution has left Hyeseong Kim with extended opportunities after he was recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to help fill the void. Kim, who signed a multi-year deal with Los Angeles before the 2025 season, has hit around.333 with a high on-base percentage, a home run and multiple stolen bases in limited action since the call-up.
Kim’s early production has softened the immediate blow, but it has not changed the larger picture for the Dodgers. Betts remains one of the middle-order pieces they need most, and with a May return now the likeliest outcome, the club’s next decision is not whether to rush him back but how long it can afford to wait.