Betts out of lineup after HBP; X-rays negative

It appears Mookie Betts will avoid a stint on the injured list, as X-rays on his right forearm came back negative after he was struck by a 95 mph fastball in Dodgers' 4-3 loss to the Mariners on Monday night at T-Mobile Park.

Betts was not in the lineup for Tuesday’s finale in Seattle as he continued to receive treatment from the training staff. Manager Dave Roberts described the outfielder as arriving at the ballpark “feeling pretty good,” but “sore,” and he said Betts would likely only be available to enter the game as a pinch-runner.

“I just want to make sure that the training staff feels good about it, he feels good about it,” Roberts said. “I think as far as a pinch run, if the situation made sense, certainly that shouldn't be a problem. I just don't know how the throwing would be, let alone swinging with the bat.”

The Dodgers have an off-day on Wednesday, which will give them and Betts an extra day to work with ahead of their upcoming four-game series rematch against the Padres at Dodger Stadium.

That the injury isn’t worse is a lucky break for the Dodgers, who are already down one MVP outfielder in Cody Bellinger, who has been on the IL since April 6 with a hairline fracture in his left fibula. The club has already dealt with both players being unavailable at once, with Betts missing four games due to a stiff lower back earlier this month. Los Angeles has hardly missed a beat without them, though, winning four of its five games with both of them out of the starting lineup ahead of Tuesday.

“It just speaks to the club,” Roberts said. “Guys just keep stepping up, and it gives other guys a runway and opportunity. [Edwin Ríos] wouldn't be in there today [otherwise]. Zach McKinstry has stepped up. So it's been fun to see guys, but certainly, we're better with Cody and Mookie in the lineup.”

Other injury updates
• There is still no specified timetable for Bellinger’s return from the IL, as he is still not taking at-bats or running at full speed. Roberts indicated that a trip to the team’s alternate training site in Glendale, Ariz., may be in the outfielder’s future.

“That's a good possibility, actually, with the alt site there, to kind of have the ability for him to take as many at-bats as he needs,” said Roberts. “Play the defense, see pitches. It's a better forum compared to what we would have here.”

• Gavin Lux, who went on the IL on April 18 with right wrist soreness, remains on track to be activated as soon as he’s eligible, which would be for Monday’s game against the Reds in Los Angeles.

“He's still swinging, taking grounders, running, throwing, and he's hitting in the cage,” said Roberts. “Hopefully we'll get him on the field [at Dodger Stadium], hopefully Thursday. [He’ll] take some batting practice and then hopefully [face live pitching] at some point over the weekend.”