Star Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts‘ body is “just kind of eating itself,” he said this week, as a mystery illness has cost him more than 20 pounds and kept him out of action this young 2025 season.
Betts didn’t play in Los Angeles’ two regular-season-opening wins in Tokyo last week and he wasn’t able to take the field for a pair of preseason games at home Sunday and Monday against the Angels.
The 2018 American League MVP came into spring straining at 175 pounds and is now down to 150 as he’s been unable to keep down any solid food.
“I’m scared to eat, so I really don’t know what to do,” he told reporters.
Blood tests and vitals have “come back really, really clean” so doctors are at a loss to explain this health scare, Betts said.
“I’m practicing all day and my body’s just kind of eating itself and so it’s hard to not fuel it,” Betts said. “And so every time, literally, every time I fuel my body, I throw it up.”
The 32-year-old said he started feeling sick two days before his team jetted off to Japan and the long plan ride only exacerbated the situation.
“So got on the plane, I thought I would at least give myself a couple days to kind of heal and then the plane ride was brutal,” he said. “That was one of the worst playing plane rides I ever had.”
The team’s North American opener is set for Thursday afternoon at home against the Detroit Tigers. At this point, it’s unknown when Betts will be able to play again.
Despite the big weight loss, Betts said he wants to play as soon as he can keep food down.
“It’s just hard to fathom not eating,” he said.”So it looks like I’m just going to be light for a little bit. Maybe I have to play uphill a little bit for the beginning of the season. But you know I just want to play, man. I’m tired of sitting, tired of just throwing up, tired of doing all of this.”
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