A familiar face is missing from the Los Angeles Dodgers starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the New York Yankees. The Dodgers will host the Yankees at Dodger Stadium over the weekend, but Mookie Betts will not play in Friday's contest.
Manager Dave Roberts explained why the Dodgers star is not available for the series opener. Betts is dealing with a toe/foot issue that may require X-rays in the coming days.
Mookie Betts is out of the lineup with a toe/foot issue. May get X-rays.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 30, 2025
Betts is hitting .254 with eight home runs, 31 runs batted in and an OPS of .742 this season. The Dodgers will certainly miss his bat Friday against the Yankees ace Max Fried.
Veteran Miguel Rojas will start in place of Betts, who was scratched from the lineup just a few hours ahead of first pitch. Rojas is hitting .241 with one home run and five RBIs across 79 at-bats this season.
Betts has missed a total of three games this season. The Dodgers star did not play in the Tokyo Series because of a stomach illness. The 32-year-old was so sick, the team sent him home early in order to recover for the Dodgers' domestic Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers 10 days later.
Betts missed an additional game against the Tigers as he recovered from the illness that caused him to lose nearly 20 pounds. The Dodgers star has played in every game since then until he was scratched from Friday's lineup.
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