The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Miami Marlins on Thursday, but might have suffered a bigger loss.
Dodgers MVP candidate Mookie Betts exited the game with a foot injury and was later seen leaving LoanDepot Park on crutches, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. X-rays reportedly came back negative on the foot.
Betts left the game in the bottom of the eighth inning, but it appears the injury occurred during the first at-bat of the game. The only foul ball in which Betts seemed to hit the ball off his foot was on this pitch in the first inning. Considering Betts proceeded to play right field for the next seven innings, the injury must have been slow-developing.
Betts went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run at the plate.
More will be known about Betts’ status on Friday, but any time missed would be bad news for the Dodgers. The former MVP has been arguably the best player in the Majors over the last month or two.
Since Aug. 1, he’s hit .422/.490/.758 with 11 homers entering Thursday, adding some spice to an NL MVP race that once seemed sewn up for Ronald Acuña Jr. Betts has played in 133 of 139 games for the Dodgers this season.
Betts’ injury was just one notable point in a 10-1 Dodgers win, as rookie starting pitcher Ryan Pepiot, who was promoted back to the big leagues after Julio Urías was placed on administrative leave following a domestic violence arrest, took a perfect game into the seventh inning, where it was broken by a single from Josh Bell. There was also a bizarre case of a ball boy interfering with a live ball.