Mookie Betts injury update could hand Ronald Acuña NL MVP
By Kristen Wong
Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts suffered an injury in Thursday's game against the Marlins. Here are the latest updates.
Los Angeles Dodgers' Mookie Betts suffered a devastating blow to his NL MVP odds on Thursday night. In a 10-0 win against the Miami Marlins, Betts left in the eighth inning due to a presumed injury.
Betts fouled a ball off his foot earlier in the game, but he stayed in. Something was relayed to the Dodgers' medical staff in the meantime, and by the eighth inning, Betts officially exited the game.
Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reported that Betts left the stadium on crutches, causing fans to fear the worst.
Betts had previously dealt with illness and an ankle issue in recent months, though this new foot injury the star may have picked up feels more serious. During the Dodgers' late-season stretch and Betts' own end-of-year dash for NL MVP, the city of L.A. is praying Betts will be okay.
Can confirm Mookie Betts left the stadium tonight on crutches, as @IsaacAzout reported
— Jack Harris (@ByJackHarris) September 8, 2023
Betts left the game in the eighth inning after fouling a ball off his foot earlier in the game
Mookie Betts did indeed leave the stadium on crutches, as @IsaacAzout said, and went through an x-ray. I'm told it was more precautionary, but still something to monitor.
— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) September 8, 2023
Betts fouled a ball off his foot in his last at bat of the game.
Mookie Betts injury update: Dodgers star leaves stadium on crutches
The sole good news for now is that Betts may not have suffered any structural damage. Dodgers beat reporter Juan Toribio said on Thursday that Betts got an X-ray that was "more precautionary" than anything else.
Betts' NL MVP form has cooled off in the start of September. Going into Thursday's game against the Marlins, Betts was hitless in four of the last five games. The Dodgers still sit comfortably at the top of the NL West with an 85-54 record.
Compared to the Dodgers' odds of making the playoffs, Betts' MVP battle against Braves' Ronald Acuna is anything but certain. The two heavyweights have been see-sawing back and forth this season; Acuna recently made history as the only player to reach the 60-30 milestone, but Betts arguably beats him in advanced stats and is pegged as the better defender.
Unfortunately for Betts, an injury -- and the expected missed time -- could be what causes him to lose the NL MVP award to an equally worthy contender.
Stay tuned for more Mookie Betts injury updates.
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