Betts (hip inflammation) lands on injured list

July 26th, 2021

LOS ANGELES -- After being out of the lineup for seven consecutive games, the Dodgers placed All-Star outfielder on the 10-day injured list with right hip inflammation on Sunday.

Manager Dave Roberts said on Saturday that Betts had received a cortisone shot to dissipate the pain in his right hip. The plan was to get Betts moving on Sunday and hopefully have him play on Tuesday against the Giants in San Francisco.

“We started trying to crank it up a little bit today and wasn't sure if by Tuesday he'd be ready to go,” Roberts said. “So I think at that point we just made a decision that was easier. We tried to kick it down the road a little bit longer and wait as long as we could, but at some point we had to make a decision, and that point was today at about noon.”

Betts battled through injuries throughout the first half of the season, which led to his decision to not participate in the All-Star Game on July 13. Betts said he wanted to use the time to rest.

When the Dodgers opened the second-half in Colorado, it looked like the four-day break did the outfielder some good. The former American League MVP collected seven hits -- five of them extra-base hits -- in his first two games back from the All-Star break.

But Betts’ four-hit game on July 17 against the Rockies ended with him leaving the game early with right hip irritation, which has led to his first IL stint this season, and first since 2018 when he was with the Red Sox.

Betts last played on July 19, going 0-for-1 against the Giants. In his previous seven games, Betts was batting .500 with four homers and nine RBIs with a 1.033 slugging percentage.