Mookie Betts returns to the Dodgers’ lineup after an oblique injury

LOS ANGELES — Mookie Betts returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup Monday night, five weeks after being sidelined with an oblique injury.

The eight-time All-Star was expected to finish second behind Shohei Ohtani and ahead of Freddie Freeman in Game 1 of the series against the San Francisco Giants.

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“We just have to make sure we make good throws,” Betts said before the game. “Those guys are good too. They drive nice cars too. We just have to control the zone, swing at good pitches.”

The Dodgers had lost seven of their last 11 games and were looking for Betts to help revive a stagnant offense. They have scored three points or fewer in eight of those 11 games.

“I know I’m not the hero,” said Betts, the 2018 AL MVP. “It’s important for everyone to know that it’s going to take all of us and not just one to overcome his struggles or whatever.”

Betts was hitting .179 (5 for 28) with two home runs in eight games before going on the injured list on April 5 with a right oblique strain.

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“I just didn’t really realize how long it took for it to really heal,” he said. “I actually felt pretty good pretty quickly. But some of the movements I couldn’t do took a long time. I was trying to hurry but obviously the doctors said it only took a month for it to heal.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Betts would start at shortstop Monday and Tuesday before taking Wednesday off.

“After seven days, six days, I think he’ll want to be there regularly, but we’ll kind of see,” Roberts said.

Betts was on a tear during spring training, hitting .357 with a .786 OPS in five games before briefly leaving the team for the birth of his third child. He cooled the first two weeks of the regular season before getting injured.

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Roberts is taking a wait-and-see approach to Betts’ offense. The 33-year-old shortstop was 2-for-5 in two minor league rehab games.

“Certainly, two rehab games, one batting practice, one day of live action, it’s not ideal,” the manager said, “but I think with Mookie, you just don’t know. The hope is he can kind of get going.”

With Betts’ return, infielder Alex Freeland was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He was hitting .235 with two home runs and eight RBIs in 33 games.

The front office opted to keep second baseman Hyeseong Kim over Freeland.

“In the end, Hyeseong performed better,” Roberts said.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb