Dodgers Manager Makes Surprise Admission About Mookie Betts' Resurgence

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts led off in manager Dave Roberts' lineup for the third consecutive game Sunday against the San Francisco Giants. Betts looks immovable right now, especially on the heels of a game in which he reached base five times. He collected three doubles, a single and a walk in the Dodgers' 10-4 win on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Betts' September surge marks an abrupt change from the five months that came before.

Through the end of August, Betts' .701 OPS ranked 123rd out of 163 major league hitters with at least 400 plate appearances. Since Sept. 1, his OPS was an outstanding 1.287 entering Sunday, trailing only Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz among 181 qualified hitters this month.

"I couldn’t tell you that I saw this,” Roberts said Saturday, referring to Betts' dramatic turnaround. “But I just felt that he was stronger. He’s worked hard on that. He looks great. He’s not going to stop working, and just for it to come together has been great.”

The Dodgers will have a choice to make if and when Shohei Ohtani returns from the injured list. Ostensibly he'll go back to the leadoff spot again, though his health — and Betts' resurgence — are at least making it a conversation.

For the Dodgers, it's a good problem to have at the right time.

At 33, Betts is facing many of the same questions the Dodgers' other 30-and-over stars face anytime their performance slips. Has age caught up to them? Can they maintain their performance through the end of October? Do the Dodgers need a younger player to take their place in order to repeat as World Series champions?

The questions apply to Miguel Rojas (37), Freddie Freeman (36), Max Muncy (35), Kiké Hernández (34), Teoscar Hernández (33), Tommy Edman (31) and Ohtani (31), as well as Betts.

Professional athletes are famously the last to know when their physical skills are no longer enough to justify their roster spot. Take it with a grain of salt, but Betts isn't worried about his ability to maintain his current stretch of play.

“I mean this is it,” Betts said of his recent form. “I know I’m still capable of it, it’s in there somewhere. So, just gotta keep on rolling, keep on laying the foundation and letting the game be the game.”

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