Dodgers Week 13: Losing Mookie Betts & Yoshinobu Yamamoto

The Dodgers had a rough week in many ways. They split six games against the Rangers and Royals at home, and the first game of the week accounted for over half of their runs scored.

But that all took a back seat to the one-two weekend gut punches* of a fastball breaking a bone in Mookie Betts’ left hand and losing Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a strained rotator cuff. Both are expected to miss several weeks.

The offense is now missing its leading MVP candidate, and the rotation loses its No. 2 starter, the latter another loosening pull on a thinning pitching thread that could unravel at any moment.

*Two gut punches likely would have been far less painful injuries, especially in the case of Betts.

Batter of the week

Shohei Ohtani hit mostly grounders for a month, coinciding with after he bruised his hamstring. But he showed positive signs last week with four home runs, including two on Sunday.

Pitcher of the week

After a taxed bullpen covered 18 of 27 innings from Thursday to Saturday, Tyler Glasnow on Sunday gave the bulk of the staff some much-needed rest with seven scoreless innings and nine strikeouts to beat the Royals.

Week 13 results

3-3 record
27 runs scored (4.50 per game)
18 runs allowed (3.00 per game)
.677 pythagorean win percentage

Year to date

44-29 record
358 runs scored (4.90 per game)
257 runs allowed (3.52 per game)
.647 pythagorean win percentage (47-26)

Miscellany

Four score and almost seven times ago: The Dodgers started the week with a bang, five of them to be exact, even if it doesn’t seem like it looking at the numbers above. But in the sixth inning on Tuesday against the Rangers, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman hit back-to-back home runs, then Teoscar Hernández and Jason Heyward added two-run shots. It marked the sixth time in franchise history the Dodgers hit four home runs in a single inning, all since 2000. Coincidentally enough, Corey Seager hit a home run in each of the previous three Dodgers four-run innings, but on Tuesday was watching from the first base dugout with the Rangers.

But after scoring 15 runs in their first game of the week, the Dodgers only scored 12 runs combined in the other five games.

Transactions

Wednesday: The Dodgers acquired utility player Cavan Biggio from the Blue Jays for minor league right-hander Braydon Fisher. Miguel Vargas was optioned to Triple-A.

Thursday: The Dodgers acquired pitcher Jose Hernandez from the Pirates for cash, and moved Ryan Brasier to the 60-day injured list. Hernandez was sent to the Arizona Complex League.

Sunday: Yoshinobu Yamamoto was placed on the injured list with a strained rotator cuff, and will miss several weeks.

Sunday: Michael Grove also landed on the IL with a right intercostal strain, and pitchers Michael Petersen and J.P. Feyereisen were called up from Oklahoma City.

Game results

Previous reviews: Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12

Up next

The Dodgers finally play another National League team this week, but just one. They run the Ty Van Burkleo gauntlet with four games at Coors Field against the Rockies followed by two games at home against the Angels and a weird-as-hell Sunday off day to end the week.

Bobby Miller will be activated off the injured list to start Wednesday in Denver, making his first major league start in 10 weeks.

Landon Knack might be called up for a spot start Friday in what would have been Yamamoto’s spot, but nothing is finalized just yet. The Angels’ rotation below is an educated guess, but if it pans out that could mean a good amount of playing time for Miguel Vargas this week. José Suarez was used as a bulk pitcher after an opener by the Angels on Sunday.