Dodgers’ Mookie Betts still battling illness, sits out Freeway Series opener
LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers and Angels had all their stars on the field to open the Freeway Series on Sunday save for one of the biggest.
Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts was originally expected to play in Sunday’s exhibition game, but he was a late scratch before the Dodgers rallied for a 7-1 victory.
Max Muncy hit a home run for the Dodgers in the victory and minor leaguer Chris Okey had a to-ahead two-run single in the seventh against former Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen.
Betts, the Dodgers’ shortstop and No. 2 hitter, continues to have one significant issue following the stomach bug he acquired in Arizona before the team departed for a two-game regular-season series against the Chicago Cubs in Tokyo.
Betts said he was at his 175-pound playing weight before his first illness symptoms occurred two days before the trip to Japan, but is now down to 157 pounds and still can’t hold down solid food.
“I’m feeling all right now,” Betts said during Sunday’s game. “I was feeling fine this morning, I got to the park and went about my day. And then I had to throw up again.”
Betts admitted that his spot on the Opening Day roster is in jeopardy since strength and stamina remains an issue and figures to still be a problem be when the season resumes Thursday with the home opener against the Detroit Tigers.
“That’s a rough question just because you go out there and you go play four innings and then put your team at a deficit at that point,” Betts said when asked if he thinks he will be ready to play Thursday. “You don’t really want to do that. And then you put yourself at a deficit. You’re already playing uphill anyway.
“… I’m not saying I don’t want to do it. It’s just, Game 1 of the season. Do I really want to give myself that much of an uphill battle? I mean, sure, if that’s what it takes. But does it logically make sense? That’s the question we need to answer.”
The Dodgers used veteran Miguel Rojas at shortstop in the opening two victories of the season against the Cubs and he again was a late replacement there on Sunday.
Over the past two weeks, Betts said the heaviest thing his stomach has been able to digest is a smoothie. He flew with the team to Japan optimistic that his illness would be short-lived.
“The plane ride was brutal,” Betts said. “That was one of the worst plane rides I’ve ever had. Got there, got one workout in and that was a really bad trip to Tokyo. I came back on another bad plane ride. It hasn’t been anything very encouraging, but it is what it is.”
Betts said that he feels fine physically outside of the inability to keep food down. He estimates that further medical tests might begin if he still isn’t able to eat for a few more days.
“Long term, not too concerned. But with the short term, he’s not to going to play (Monday) night,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He’s going to get through a full day of a workout here at the stadium and then we’ll see how that day goes. But it’s certainly not ideal as we look at the home opener. So we’ll just kind of take it day by day.”
It’s the same timetable Betts has been hearing since March 10.
“I just want to play, man,” Betts said. “I’m tired of sitting, tired of just throwing up, tired of doing all this stuff. I really just want to play.”
While Betts went through a broken hand that cost him two months last season, his current situation has created an even bigger frustration.
“Yeah, I mean that’s pretty straightforward,” he said. “You just kind of rest and let it do its thing. But this is so touchy man. You think you feel good and then you really don’t know. I don’t know what’s going on in my stomach. You can’t see. I feel good but every time I eat something it just comes right out.”
On the field, Taylor Ward hit a home run for the Angels in the third inning against Dodgers minor leaguer Jackson Ferris. It was the only run the left-hander allowed in 3⅔ innings. Angels right-hander Jose Soriano gave up one run on four hits over 5⅓ innings.
“I feel really good. I was attacking the zone and that was the mentality,” said Soriano, who is expected to start in the season-opening series at Chicago against the White Sox. “I feel great. I’m in great shape. I can go long if that’s what they want.”
The Dodgers scored four more times in the eighth inning with Chris Taylor hitting a two-run double.