"This a blow to baseball" - MLB insider says injury to Dodgers star Mookie Betts will be felt across the league

The Los Angeles Dodgers had a bad weekend at Dodger Stadium as Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Mookie Betts, two of their stars, got sidelined with injuries in the series against the Kansas City Royals.

On Saturday, Yamamoto left the game after pitching for two innings with a potential injury concern and was later placed on the 15-day injury list with a strained rotator cuff. The next day, during the finale between the Dodgers and the Royals, Betts fractured his left hand and left the game.

On “MLB Now,” analysts Steve Phillips and Jon Heyman widely discussed how Mookie Betts' absence will affect the team and what the Dodgers could do to mitigate that.

“This is a blow to baseball,” Heyman said. “He [Mookie Betts] is one of the best players in the game, no question. … He was the leader. Being a plus shortstop is amazing. Very good.”

Meanwhile, with Betts now off the grid, the Dodgers have concerns about the shortstop position. They can do a trade to make for that or use Miguel Rojas until Betts’ return, but it’ll be a tough situation for the Dodgers.

Phillips said about the situation:

“It’s a big blow. There’s no question about that. He [Mookie Betts] got a chance to be out for two months with a broken hand... It’s a significant blow. And there aren’t really other shortstops to go out and get.”

Betts was not only the team’s dependable shortstop but also one of its leading offensive player, scoring 40 RBIs, 50 runs and 10 home runs with a .304 batting average and .892 OPS in 72 games.

Dave Roberts is ready to move forward amid Mookie Betts' injury setback

As of Monday, the LA Dodgers lead the NL West with a 44-29 season record. They have a seven-game lead from the second-place holders, the San Deigo Padres (37-38). For now, the Dodgers are in a comfortable position in the pennant race, but if they don’t recover from the injury setbacks, the table may turn by the end of the month.

However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts doesn't intend to sit back and watch that happen. He plans to move forward with the rest of the squad while hoping for his star players’ speedy return.

Roberts said of Betts:

“He's a superstar player, he's a big part of our ballclub,” Roberts said, per MLB.com. “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.”

Meanwhile, Betts will be there for his Dodgers teammates but not in his playing jersey.

"Obviously, I'll be watching the boys, cheering them on,” Betts said. “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.”

The Dodgers will next face the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field for a four-game series starting Monday.