Mookie Betts has plenty of time to turn slow start around
Mookie Betts hasn't produced his standard elite numbers quite yet, but NBC Sports EDGE's D.J. Short details why his fantasy managers shouldn't worry.
Video Transcript
D.J. SHORT: Mookie Betts was a consensus top five pick in mixed leagues this spring, and appeared to back up that status with a strong start to the season, but he's been struggling in recent weeks, at least relative to his usual elite standard. Entering play on Thursday, May 27, Betts was hitting just .247 on the year, including a .229 batting average and a .735 OPS dating back to mid April.
Clearly, health is a factor here. Betts already missed time with forearm, back, and shoulder injuries this year. Furthermore, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the star outfielder has been playing in about 80% to 85%. Betts, meanwhile, doesn't want to make any excuses, saying that most players are banged up throughout the year.
So there's no question that something has been different so far, as Betts is making less in the way of hard contact, also seeing a dip in his sprint speed. It's been a disappointing start, but Betts is still a contact heavy hitter who gets on base at a high clip while hitting leadoff for the Dodgers. There are certainly worse situations to find yourself in. Betts recently got three days off with his shoulder issues. So hopefully a bit of a breather will put his season back on that elite path.
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