Betts facing lengthy absence after HBP fractures left hand

LOS ANGELES -- The Dodgers are going to be without Mookie Betts for some time, as the shortstop has a fractured left hand following a hit by pitch in the seventh inning of a 3-0 win over the Royals at Dodger Stadium on Sunday.

Facing right-hander Dan Altavilla with a 1-2 count, Betts was struck by a 97.9 mph four-seamer and immediately fell to the ground, visibly in pain. Manager Dave Roberts said Betts won't need surgery and the injury is not season ending, but there's no timetable for his return.

“It's just going to be rest and let the bones heal,” said Roberts.

It took quite a while for Betts to be able to get up and leave the field, making for a scary moment that was extremely difficult to watch for both teams.

"Absolutely no intent,” said Altavilla. “I was trying to go inside in a 1-2 count and it slipped armside out of my hand. I really hope he's OK."

Betts said that he will see orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Shin at Cedars-Sinai on Monday to determine the best course of treatment. To Betts’ recollection, it was the first time he had been hit on the hands. It’s not the first time he has missed time due to a bone fracture, however; in 2022, he cracked his right rib in an outfield collision with Cody Bellinger.

With that injury, he was out for just 15 days, playing again while the rib was still technically broken. He will not be back so soon this time.

“Obviously, I'll be watching the boys, cheering them on,” said Betts, whose hand was wrapped up after the game. “But other than that, it’s just kind of rest, maybe use it as a mental break. Be ready to go whenever it heals up.”

L.A.’s leadoff hitter and one of its most consistent contributors, Betts was batting .304 with an .893 OPS this season. He is tied for third on the team with 10 homers. A six-time Gold Glove winner in right field, he has filled in adeptly in his first full season at shortstop. In his absence, Roberts’ “initial thought” is to move Shohei Ohtani up the leadoff spot, a role he filled plenty of times during his six seasons with the Angels.

“He's obviously a very important part of the team,” Ohtani, who homered twice on Sunday, said through interpreter Will Ireton. “And if he's out for some time, then it's really up to the rest of the team to pick him up so that we can continue.”

The Dodgers will now be without both parts of their left side of the infield, as third baseman Max Muncy remains out indefinitely with a right oblique strain. Miguel Rojas, who pinch-ran for Betts and took over for him in the field for the remaining two innings of the game, will get the bulk of the shortstop duties for now, with Kiké Hernández filling in at times. The Dodgers plan to recall Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City to fill Betts’ place on the roster.

It was already a tough day for the Dodgers on the injury front, as prior to the game, they placed right-handers Yoshinobu Yamamoto (right rotator cuff strain) and Michael Grove (right intercostal strain) on the injured list.

But losing Betts -- who to this point was trending toward being the National League’s starting shortstop in the All-Star Game -- is about as massive a blow as the Dodgers could have been dealt, and it’s going to require some big adjustments from his teammates.

“He's a superstar player, he's a big part of our ballclub,” said Roberts. “But our guys understand that that's part of baseball, and you got to move forward. And guys are going to get opportunities and got to play well.”