The Los Angeles Dodgers have looked every bit like World Series favorites early in the 2025 season, posting a 25–12 record and securing recent series wins over both the Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins. But even as the team continues to roll, they’ve had to navigate a wave of injuries and unexpected setbacks.
While pitchers Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow remain sidelined with shoulder inflammation, Mookie Betts has quietly battled his own health issue — one that significantly affected his performance. Betts recently revealed that he lost 20 pounds due to illness, which sapped his bat speed and led to a difficult 13-game stretch where he hit just .176.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts Struggling With Bat Speed
In a candid conversation with The Athletic‘s Ken Rosenthal, Betts explained the toll the illness took on his swing mechanics. “I have a baseline of numbers as far as bat speed that I try and hit throughout the day to make sure I’m moving fast enough and ready for a game,” Betts said. “I could not get the bat to those numbers.”
Even at full strength, Betts acknowledged that bat speed has long been a relative weakness. “My bat speed, even fully healthy, is already below average. Now you take off 20 pounds and it’s even worse,” he added. “I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve got to do whatever it takes to get the barrel going.’”
Despite the dip in performance from their All-Star shortstop, the Dodgers’ lineup — bolstered by MVP-level play from Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani, and others — hasn’t missed a beat. The team’s depth and star power allow players like Betts the room to recover without pressure.
With a loaded roster and sustained dominance in the NL West, Los Angeles continues to set the standard in Major League Baseball. And when Betts is back to full strength, they might somehow be even better.