rewrite this title Dave Roberts Reveals Why Mookie Betts is Out of Dodgers Lineup vs White Sox

Superstar Mookie Betts is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting lineup ahead of a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox.

Manager Dave Roberts claimed that his shortstop is taking “A mental day” as the reasoning for Betts being out of Tuesday’s lineup.

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Betts is hitting .249 this season with an OPS+ of 99, slightly below league average.

The superstar is unrecognizable from the elite production of years past, especially in his last 20 games. Betts is hitting .175/.241/.263 with a .504 OPS, striking out 12 times and driving in nine runs in those 80 at-bats.

When Betts is making contact this season, it hasn’t been up to par as his past numbers.

He ranks in just the 20th percentile of active batters in hard-hit percentage (a ball batted faster than 95 mph), and his average exit velocity of 88.4 is in the 27th percentile in MLB. Betts’ average exit velocity last season was 89.9, or the 64th percentile across The Show.

Betts is still undoubtedly bringing immense value to the diamond every game with his strikeout rate of just 10.2 percent, good for the 97th percentile among the majors, and is an elite defender with his 94th percentile grade in terms of Outs Above Average.

A clear flaw in Betts’ game this season is how he deals with the breaking ball. In 2024, the superstar was able to hit those offerings at a .250 average, but that number has plummeted to a .139 average when a breaking ball is thrown.

For added context, Betts hits offspeed pitches at a .324 clip, while hitting fastballs at a .299 average.

Regardless, Betts is going to continue to be one of the pillars of the organization and will hopefully return from his off day rejuvenated and ready to break out of his slump.

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Photo Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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