Mookie Betts is finishing the season the way the Dodgers needed him to: loud, locked in, and looking a lot more like himself.
What looked like a lost 2026 campaign after an oblique injury and a month on the shelf has flipped fast. At the All-Star break, Betts was dragging through a .235/.293/.416 line with 11 home runs and 31 RBI in 60 games. Since the second half opened, though, he’s been back in that MVP-runner-up groove, posting a .290/.364/.452 slash with 11 homers and 36 RBI over his last 56 games.
The last three games have been even better. Betts is hitting .833 over that stretch with five extra-base hits and five RBI, capped by Saturday’s four-hit, three-double performance in the Dodgers’ 10-4 win over the San Francisco Giants.
He’s also been bouncing all over the lineup, from leadoff down to the six spot, but during this final homestand he’s been making a strong case for the top of the order. After Saturday’s win, Betts spoke with David Vassegh of SportsNet LA and said Shohei Ohtani’s return will shape where he ends up hitting every day.
“It’s fun. Like you said, I’ve done it for so long, but that man Shohei- he deserves what he gets. We all know where he needs to hit in the lineup.”
Saturday also brought an unusual line for left-hander Tarik Skubal, who gave up four earned runs and struck out a season-low three batters over five innings. Even so, the Dodgers’ offense came through after his last pitch, scoring six runs to get him his fourth win as a Dodger.
Skubal was direct about the way the night turned after he exited.
“Obviously, I wasn’t very good today. The offense, defense and bullpen picked me up big time, and that’s what good teams do- they pick each other up, and win series and win baseball games. Hats off to them.”
There was more encouraging pitching news from Friday, too. Mirjam Swanson of the Los Angeles Times wrote about Tyler Glasnow and his growing confidence as the playoffs get closer. Glasnow was sharp against San Francisco, allowing two runs while striking out 10.
“Today was a step in the right direction,” said Glasnow, the formerHart High star, before leaving the clubhouse in flip-flops. “I’d rather kind of feel it, work through some stuff, and have a good one right before playoffs.
“I think I’m in a good spot right now.”
And Shohei Ohtani appears to be moving forward as well. Jack Harris of the California Post reported that Ohtani did base running drills and used the Trajekt Ark pitching machine in the cage. Hitting coach Aaron Bates said Ohtani has been strong with the machine, and the next real checkpoint will come when he faces live batting practice.
“In the cage, in a controlled setting, he’s been really good. It’s 100% intensity,” Bates said.
“Once he gets out to the field, if he does a live BP or something like that, and the intensity ramps up, it’ll be a good test to see what happens. But in the cage, in the controlled setting, he’s been really good.”
In Other News...
Dodgers Just Got An October Boost Fans Have Been Waiting For
The Dodgers got a familiar September jolt with two important reinforcements coming off the injured list as the club heads into the final week of the regular season. Dave Roberts said right-hander Tyler Glasnow is healthy and ready to help when October arrives, a welcome development for a team that has spent much of the year trying to keep its pitching group intact for the stretch run.
Los Angeles also had to make room on the roster by sending two players back down, another reminder of how quickly the picture can change at this time of year. Beyond the immediate playoff implications, there is already some offseason intrigue swirling around the Dodgers, with ESPNs Jeff Passan reporting that pitcher Tarik Skubal could be in line for a massive free-agent deal this winter, a detail that will only add to the teams long-term planning conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Fans Just Got A New Reason To Watch Tarik Skubal
Tarik Skubal showed up at SoFi Stadium on Monday night with another Dodgers star in tow, as he and Mookie Betts took in the Rams-Giants matchup. Skubal was down at field level while Betts watched from a suite that also included Myles Garrett and Aaron Donalds wife, a small but notable reminder that the Dodgers biggest names do not exactly disappear when the baseball schedule pauses.
For Los Angeles, Skubals appearance comes at an interesting moment. He was recently placed on the Dodgers bereavement list and is currently expected to start the final regular-season game, though that could still change. Even with the season winding down, the Dodgers are keeping an eye on anything that might affect the rotation, and a night out around the NFL only added another layer to the intrigue around Skubals week. [Read more 🡒]
Dodgers Letting Ryan Ward Go Took An Unexpected Turn
Ryan Wards exit from the Dodgers organization moved quickly. Just six days after being designated for assignment, he agreed to a contract with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball, ending a run that had kept him in the Dodgers system for his entire professional career. It was a familiar kind of roster churn for this time of year, but the destination made the move stand out.
For the Dodgers, Wards recent minor league production had already made his standing uncertain, and the roster rules created an unusual layer to his departure. He was only eligible to play for the Dodgers in the 2026 postseason, which meant Los Angeles still had some control over his future in a narrow sense, even as the organization opened the door for him to continue his career abroad. [Read more 🡒]