Dodgers Need 1 Key Player to Step Up in June

The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a great start collectively, and one player stepping up could make them even better as they approach the midway point of the season.

class="wp-block-paragraph">MLB.com’s Sonja Chen named Mookie Betts and the player the Dodgers most need to step up in the month of June.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“Betts came into this season excited about the work he had put in to get his swing back on track, but he landed on the IL with a right oblique strain after appearing in just eight games,” Chen wrote.

class="wp-block-paragraph">“Since returning on May 11, he hasn’t hit consistently, leading the Dodgers to drop him from second to cleanup in the lineup. After having the worst offensive season of his career last year, Betts believes that he can still tap into his MVP-caliber form. It’s just a matter of finding it, which Betts may be doing — he had a multi-homer game last Tuesday against the Rockies and had three hits against the Phillies on Saturday.”

class="wp-block-paragraph">Betts spent a month on the injured list after suffering an injury to his oblique in the third series of the season, and hasn’t quite looked like himself since coming back. Since making his return on May 11, Betts is sporting just a .650 OPS, though a recent flurry of solid performances could be a turning point for him.

class="wp-block-paragraph">The outfielder turned shortstop has had two three-hit games in his last five contests, hitting two home runs in one of those games. If he can raise his batting average over the Mendoza line and towards his career average of .289, he’s likely to find himself in a pretty good spot for the remainder of the year.

May 26, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) runs after hitting a single during the third inning Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesWhat Are Mookie Betts’ Stats for the Season?Betts has played in 25 games so far this season, and is currently batting .194 with a .667 OPS over the course of those games. He has six homers on the year, as well as 16 RBIs.

class="wp-block-paragraph">While his averages are underwhelming, Betts still has a better slugging percentage than he had in 2025. It’s still a far cry from what he has shown in the past, but even a marginal improvement could lead to Betts’ return to being a productive player with the bat.

class="wp-block-paragraph">Do you think Mookie Betts can return to his All-Star form this season?

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