Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts won't play in either of the club's two games in Tokyo, Japan as he continues to deal with an illness, manager Dave Roberts announced, according to Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times.
Roberts added that the Dodgers are considering sending Betts back to the United States early. He's expected to be ready for the club's domestic opener against the Detroit Tigers on March 27.
Betts has lost almost 15 pounds as a result of the illness, Roberts said, according to Harris.
The 32-year-old was expected to bat second and play shortstop in a loaded Dodgers lineup in the highly-anticipated series against the Chicago Cubs.
"When you're dehydrated, that's what opens a person up to soft tissue injuries," Roberts said, according to The Associated Press. "We're very mindful of that."
The Dodgers could turn to veteran infielder Miguel Rojas to patrol shortstop in Betts' absence. Rojas enjoyed an excellent season for the World Series champions in 2024, registering a 111 wRC+ at the plate with 2.8 fWAR and ranked in the 97th percentile in Baseball Savant's outs above average.
The Dodgers and Cubs will open up their two-game series at the Tokyo Dome on Tuesday.
