{"id":36186,"date":"2025-03-26T07:33:40","date_gmt":"2025-03-26T07:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=36186"},"modified":"2025-03-26T07:33:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-26T07:33:40","slug":"dodgers-mookie-betts-returns-in-freeway-series-finale-against-angels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=36186","title":{"rendered":"Dodgers\u2019 Mookie Betts returns in Freeway Series finale against Angels"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header article-header\">\n<div class=\"header-title-area\">\n<div class=\"headline-area\">\n<div class=\"headlines\">\n<h2 class=\"subheadline\">Betts, who had not played in a game since March 9 because of a stomach ailment, pronounces himself ready to play in Thursday\u2019s home opener after playing into the sixth inning in a 4-1 exhibition win<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article-content-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"header-features default\">\n<figure>\n<div class=\"image-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-article_feature lazyautosizes lazyloaded\" title=\"Dodgers star Mookie Betts hits a ground out during the sixth inning of their Freeway Series exhibition finale against the Angels on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo\/Kevork Djansezian)\n\" src=\"https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=620\" sizes=\"955px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=620 620w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=780 780w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=1017 1020w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=1274 1280w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=1527 1860w\" alt=\"Dodgers star Mookie Betts hits a ground out during the sixth inning of their Freeway Series exhibition finale against the Angels on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo\/Kevork Djansezian)\n\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=620\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=620 620w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=780 780w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=1017 1020w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=1274 1280w,https:\/\/www.ocregister.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/imageedit_4_33267574-16x9-1.jpg?w=1527 1860w\" \/><\/div><figcaption>Dodgers star Mookie Betts hits a ground out during the sixth inning of their Freeway Series exhibition finale against the Angels on Tuesday night at Angel Stadium. (AP Photo\/Kevork Djansezian)<\/p>\n<div id=\"mng-gallery-904335dfe14c4891a7dff6dd23b8298f\" class=\"article-slideshow\">\n<div class=\"caption mng-gallery-information-container\">\n<p class=\"slideshow-caption mng-gallery-image-caption\">The Angels\u2019 Logan O\u2019Hoppe is hit by a pitch from Dodgers starting pitcher Dustin May during the second inning of a spring training baseball game Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo\/Kevork Djansezian)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>ANAHEIM \u2014 In an exhibition game that carried some heft to it, the Dodgers and Angels finished out their spring training schedules on Tuesday night.<\/p>\n<p>The final spring game, which typically provides prospects the chance to play the back half of the game in a major league stadium in front of a large crowd, took on more meaning with Mookie Betts starting at shortstop for the Dodgers.<\/p>\n<p>It was Betts\u2019 first game action since he had two at-bats in a March 9 Cactus League game against the Athletics. He fell ill the following day and had been dealing with a stomach virus that persisted for two weeks.<\/p>\n<p>After playing into the sixth inning and, while going 0 for 3 at the plate, Betts pronounced himself ready to play in the home opener Thursday against the Detroit Tigers.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYeah, I played in the game (Tuesday),\u201d Betts said when asked if he will play Thursday. \u201cOnce I stepped foot on the dirt, I was ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Betts said Sunday that without being able to eat solid foods, he dropped from his 175-pound playing weight to 157 pounds.<\/p>\n<p>He was finally able to hold down a meal on Monday when he went through a workout at Dodger Stadium then saw game action Tuesday.<\/p>\n<p>Before Tuesday\u2019s game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he still wanted to see how Betts got through a workout on Wednesday. Afterward, though, he was on board with Betts\u2019 plan to play in the home opener.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019s going to go through a work day as far as grounders and some stuff on the field, and in the cage as well, but he\u2019ll be ready for the home opener,\u201d Roberts said.<\/p>\n<p>Both Betts and Freddie Freeman missed the two regular-season games in Japan last week against the Chicago Cubs, but the Dodgers won both contests anyway.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHonestly, I think our guys do a great job (of being prepared),\u201d Roberts said. \u201cCase in point, in Tokyo, we lost two of our best players 48 hours apart, and we won two ball games. So it\u2019s kind of what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Roberts has not come up with a plan of how he will ease his veteran into the flow of the early season, but Betts did not sound like somebody who was looking for special treatment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m actually stronger than I was before,\u201d Betts said. \u201cMy body has been perfectly fine. It\u2019s only been my stomach. Literally only my stomach. I\u2019ve been working out, doing everything perfectly normal. It was just hard to hold down food but I\u2019m fine now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Betts\u2019 recovery coincided with a move to a new undisclosed medication, and he has managed to put on at least some of the weight he lost. As far as getting back to 175 pounds, that will be a work in progress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve never done this so I have no idea,\u201d said Betts, who also adjusted his diet in recent days but did not go into details about it. \u201cWe\u2019ll both find out at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Dodgers were fine with Betts playing on Thursday after he went through strength testing. At the plate, he had a ground out to third base, a foul out to first and a ground out to second.<\/p>\n<p>While Betts was trying to return from some downtime, the Angels were trying to avoid it so close to the start of their season, which will be Thursday in Chicago against the White Sox.<\/p>\n<p>In his last outing before the regular season, Dodgers right-hander Dustin May gave up just one hit in five innings but hit the Angels\u2019 Logan O\u2019Hoppe and Jorge Soler with pitches. Both remained in the game, although Soler was visited by a member of the Angels\u2019 medical staff near home plate.<\/p>\n<p>Soler eventually came around to score the Angels\u2019 lone run in the fourth inning on an O\u2019Hoppe single.<\/p>\n<p>The Dodgers had a 2-0 lead at the time on Will Smith\u2019s second home run of the spring. Miguel Rojas added a sacrifice fly in a two-run ninth inning for the Dodgers.<\/p>\n<p>After a franchise-record 99 losses last season and nine consecutive losing campaigns, the Angels are feeling optimistic for the road ahead, with a young core while hoping three-time American League MVP Mike Trout can remain healthy.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor the most part, I was enjoying watching those kids get a chance to grow and they have,\u201d Angels manager Ron Washington said. \u201cNow (GM) Perry (Minasian) has surrounded us with some players to help them. If what they did last year is their ceiling, we are in trouble, but I don\u2019t believe they\u2019ve reached their ceilings.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside class=\"related left\"><\/aside>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Betts, who had not played in a game since March 9 because of a stomach ailment, pronounces himself ready to play in Thursday\u2019s home opener after playing&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":36187,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36186","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Dodgers\u2019 Mookie Betts returns in Freeway Series finale against Angels - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=36186\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dodgers\u2019 Mookie Betts returns in Freeway Series finale against Angels - 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