Mookie Betts will not be on the field when the Los Angeles Dodgers host the New York Yankees in a long-anticipated World Series rematch tonight at 10:10 p.m. ET. The reason? Well, we've all been there.
Betts is considered "day-to-day" with a stubbed toe. He blames his dresser. Or his nightstand. Yeah, we get it.
Roberts: Mookie Betts considered day-to-day with stubbed toe.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) May 30, 2025
“Dresser, nightstand, something like that.”
It's a slight bummer for Betts to miss such a big game, but it's also deeply silly to miss a professional baseball game because you stubbed your toe on [insert wooden furniture fixture here] in the dead of night. As a new dad, we can only assume Betts suffered this injury in the dead of night.
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Mookie Betts stubs toe on dresser, set to miss first game of Dodgers-Yankees World Series rematch
This is not a criticism, of course. It is genuinely funny, and thankfully it does not appear to be a long-term issue. Los Angeles has dealt with its share of injuries this season, but the team keeps on winning behind MVP-level performances from Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. This game should be plenty entertaining, even without Betts in the lineup.
Betts has performed below his usually high standard this season, hitting .254 with a .742 OPS and eight home runs through 53 games. That is still well above your average joe and it helps to have Ohtani and Freeman sandwiching you in the lineup; the Dodgers certainly aren't exactly lacking for offense.
This does contribute to an increasingly long and frustrating string of injuries for the Dodgers, however. The pitching staff has been decimated all season, with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Rōki Sasaki all on the IL. That has left L.A. a bit more vulnerable than one might expect given the abundance of talent on the roster. Betts performing like a very good shortstop instead of an MVP candidate therefore stands out a bit more.
Again, thankfully, this does not seem like a long-term injury. I have stubbed many a toe over the years and it's not a fun experience. Hyeseong Kim is the easy candidate to replace Betts in a pinch. He has an impressive .859 OPS through 43 at-bats so far in his rookie campaign. With a unique blend of speed, contact and pop, Kim is far better than your run-of-the-mill replacement in the infield. The Dodgers will be just fine.
Hopefully Betts gets back before this three-game series is out. Judging from the nature of the injury and L.A.'s designation, it's safe to expect he will.