The longer story for Betts’s offseason has been his defensive shift from playing right field to shortstop. At 32 years old, Mookie Betts is determined to demonstrate his capabilities as a star shortstop on a World Series-winning team. “This is not like a vengeance tour,” the former right fielder explained to USA TODAY Sports. “It’s about proving a lot of people wrong. But more than anything, it’s about proving myself right. So many years, I just didn’t believe in myself.”
Betts’ impressive resume includes eight All-Star appearances as a right fielder, six Gold Glove awards, seven Silver Slugger awards, an MVP title, and a batting championship. However, his most cherished accomplishment remains his three World Series championships.
Betts is well aware of his history at the shortstop position. He developed his skills as a shortstop throughout his youth and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox with the intention of playing him at shortstop. However, his professional career took a different path, as he did not complete a full season at shortstop with the Red Sox. The team eventually transitioned him to second base, and ultimately, to right field, where he became a star.
Mookie Betts Looking More Comfortable At Shortstop For Los Angeles Dodgers
But according to Dodgers insider Sonja Chen, Betts is looking more the part of a major league shortstop.
“Betts’ season debut was delayed due to an illness that forced him to miss the two-game Tokyo Series,” Chen writes. “But during Spring Training, it certainly looked like his offseason work in preparation for a planned permanent move to shortstop paid off. Betts looked much more comfortable at the position than he did last year, especially with making throws. Now comes the real test in regular-season games.”
Betts’ transition to shortstop last season was a learning experience, one he openly discussed. While he demonstrated impressive range and natural fielding instincts, his throwing accuracy proved to be a significant challenge. Notably, eight of his nine errors in 531 1/3 innings at shortstop were attributed to throwing miscues.
Dodgers star Mookie Betts says his body is ‘kind of eating itself’ after mystery illness
- Shortstop unable to keep down food for two weeks
- Betts is unsure when he will be able to play again
Betts, who missed the Dodgers’ first two games of the regular season at the Tokyo Dome last week and was sent back to Los Angeles to continue recovering, was a late scratch for Sunday’s exhibition win against the Los Angeles Angels.
Betts told reporters he hasn’t been able to keep down solid food without vomiting for two weeks and has lost about 15lbs during that time.
“I mean, I feel great,” Betts told reporters in Los Angeles. “Like, my body feels great. I’ve been able to work out. I’ve been able to do pretty much everything but eat, which is strange. So the symptoms have kind of gone away, I just have to figure out how to get my stomach to kind of calm down.”
Betts added that he was unsure of his next steps. “My body’s just kind of eating itself,” he said. “It’s hard to not fuel it. And so every time – literally, every time – I fuel my body, I throw up … I don’t know what to do.”
The eight-time All-Star said that his blood tests have nor shown anything unusual. Betts won’t play in Monday’s exhibition at Angel Stadium, and he’s a long shot for the Dodgers’ opening day game on American soil on Thursday against Detroit.
“It’s just hard to fathom not eating and going to play a game,” Betts said. “So it looks like I’m just going to be light for a little bit. Maybe I play uphill a little bit for the beginning of the season. But no, I just want to play, man. I’m tired of sitting, tired of throwing up, tired of doing all this. I really just want to play.”
Betts is making the full-time transition to shortstop after playing most of his career in right field and second base. The 2018 AL MVP hit .289 with 19 homers and 75 RBIs last season, helping the Dodgers win the World Series.
Leave a Reply