Mookie Betts has been out of the lineup since mid-June with a hand fracture, and as the injuries have mounted since then for the Los Angeles Dodgers, they have seen their once easy run through the National League West tighten up. They entered action on August 6 with just a five-game lead over the San Diego Padres.
Help is on the way, with Betts scheduled to play a simulated game this Thursday. The expectation is that he will be activated for next week’s road trip that begins on Monday in Milwaukee. It will be the first of four games against the N.L. Central-leading Brewers, who sit just four games behind the Dodgers for the second seed in the playoffs.
Betts was putting up MVP-like numbers with his bat before he got hurt, but he was also playing as the Dodgers primary shortstop. He might, however, get moved back to second base, since the Dodgers now have much more depth at shortstop with Nick Ahmed and Amed Rosario.
The Dodgers are still the heavy favorites to win the division for the 11th time in 12 years, paying -800. They also are the favorites to win the National League pennant at +160, and the favorites to win the World Series at +320.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto is also nearing a return, as he is scheduled to throw a second bullpen session on Tuesday for the Dodgers. He threw over the weekend, and there were no lingering issues after those 20 simulated pitches. At the time Yamamoto went on the IL in June, he was +575 to win National League Rookie of the Year. Now, nothing short of a meteor strike is going to keep Pittsburgh Pirates phenom Paul Skenes from winning the award.
Ranger Suarez Advancing to Return
The Philadelphia Phillies are the top challenger for the Dodgers in the National League, paying +300 to win the pennant and advance to the World Series. They entered play on Tuesday just a half-game ahead of L.A. for the best record in the N.L.
Philly has been without left-handed starter Ranger Suárez since July 22. But he threw a bullpen session on Monday that has the Phillies optimistic for his return. He will still need to face live hitters at some point before he’s taken off the injured list, but he could be back in the rotation by the middle of August.
Suárez was named to his first All-Star Game this season, and at the time of his addition to the IL, he was paying +875 to win the National League Cy Young Award. Now he is at +8000, with Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves the favorite at +110.
The Phillies entered play on Tuesday with a 5.5 game lead over the Braves in the National League East, and are -360 to win the division.
With over 25 years of experience as a distinguished sports writer for renowned platforms such as Fox Sports and ESPN, Kyle Garlett is a sports betting specialist who has been at the forefront of documenting the global surge in sports betting and online gaming. Based in Denver, Colorado, Kyle hosts an NFL betting YouTube show and podcast. Kyle also has two sports books published by HarperCollins.
Kyle graduated the Azusa Pacific University in 1996 with a B.A. Degree in Communication and Journalism.
