Dodgers star Mookie Betts has revealed the death of a family member caused him to miss his team’s trip to the Red Sox on Friday.
Betts was absent for the meeting against his former ballclub as LA manager Dave Roberts said beforehand that the player was dealing with personal issues.
And after fully returning to the lineup on Sunday (he also pinch-hit on Saturday), Betts explained to reporters that his stepfather had passed away.
‘My stepdad passed. So I needed to go home, be with my mom, somebody that’s been there in my life from fourth grade until now,’ he said. So, that was tough for me and the family, but I just needed to be there for my mom and my brothers and sisters.
‘So, it’s just a tough time, and there’s no real way to really explain something like that outside of just being there and spending time with the family.’
After flying home to Tennessee to be with his family, Betts traveled on his own to Boston and entered the Dodgers’ contest against the Red Sox on Saturday in the middle of the game as a pinch-hitter.
Dodgers star Mookie Betts revealed over the weekend that his stepfather had passed away
He pinch-hit on Saturday before returning to the lineup in full the following day vs. Boston
Roberts told reporters that Betts got his ‘own plane’ to make it back to Boston.
‘For me, it just meant a lot that he found a way to get here and be available and take the at-bat late,’ he said, via the AP.
Betts returned to his usual starting role on Sunday – the final game of the Dodgers-Red Sox series – and went 1-for-4 as his team lost 4-3.
It’s been a difficult season for the eight-time All-Star as he’s batting a career-low .237 at the plate.
The 32-year-old missed out on the All-Star Game for the first time since 2015 (excluding the Covid-affected 2020 season) and told reporters on Sunday that he would ‘like to play better baseball.’
July has been a particularly difficult month for Betts as he’s hit just .182, leading Roberts to bench him for a game earlier this month.
Betts will look to return to form when the Dodgers travel to the Reds on Monday.
