Mookie Betts Injury Update: Dodgers Star progresses with ground ball training, nears return

The LA Dodgers could be getting reinforcements soon with Mookie Betts' return. The shortstop fractured his left hand on June 16 after he was hit by a pitch. Initial reports said he'd be out for six to eight weeks, but he is progressing well and could be in line for a return sooner rather than later.

According to a report from Fabian Ardaya, beat reporter for the Dodgers for The Athletic, Betts has begun fielding ground balls off the bat and catching them with his injured left hand.

He said on X, formerly known as Twitter:

"Mookie Betts has started taking ground balls (real ones, catching with his left hand), Dave Roberts said."

Betts has been out of action since being hit by the pitch against the Kansas City Royals. It has thrown the Dodgers into a bit of disarray. Betts was only the shortstop because of a lack of other options, and his absence tested the shaky infield even further.

It also impacted their lineup tremendously. The slugger was leading off and formed a formidable top five with Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith and Teoscar Hernandez. Pretty soon, they'll be able to reunite and start hitting well together again.

The Dodgers still hold the NL West lead, but they have not been the dominant team everyone expected them to be. They're 56-40, 6.5 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the best record in baseball.

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Mookie Betts' return date?

Mookie Betts was injured on June 16. With the initial timeline in mind, his earliest possible return date would have been six weeks later, at the end of July. He's still a couple of weeks away from that, and that is the most ideal timeline.

Mookie Betts should be back sooner rather than later (Imagn)

The Dodgers' alternative and more frustrating timeline is that he won't return until August 16, needing the full eight weeks to recover. However, based on the progress reported above, it's very likely that he'll be back sooner. If he can continue fielding ground balls without difficulty, he could return earlier.