It’s been a big week for Mookie Betts. For the second year in a row, he was named the Dodgers’ nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award
, given each year to a player who demonstrates a commitment to service. Betts is certainly a strong candidate. His 5050 Foundation—built on the pillars of mental and emotional health; nutrition; financial literacy; and physical fitness—has been particularly active this year.Through the foundation, Betts has supported victims of the L.A. wildfires, visited patients
at UCLA Children’s Hospital, and created the Betts on Us Fund to help pediatric patients pay for their health care. His wife, Brianna, serves as co-founder and president.
“We try and give opportunities that kids may not have going through everyday life … things that some parents may not know and may not be able to pass on to the next generation,” Betts said on MLB Network.
Betts was also named the National League player of the week. He averaged .462 at the plate and recorded 10 RBIs, including two homers, to help the Dodgers regain some much-needed energy in the process.
Dodgers Notes
Yoshinobu Yamamoto has been the biggest Dodgers success this season, writes Bradford Doolittle at ESPN. Yamamoto has been a reliable piece of the Dodgers rotation, and he’s the first Dodgers pitcher to hit the minimum number of innings to qualify for the best ERA title since 2022.
The Dodgers have several options when it comes to Shohei Ohtani’s playoff role. He’ll definitely be a starting pitcher, according to Jack Harris at the Los Angeles Times, and while they’re open to using him out of the bullpen, two-way rules could make strategy a bit of a challenge.
The Phillies are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Dodgers for a first-round playoff bye, meaning the Dodgers might be in for a Wild Card series for the first time since 2020, writes Jim Alexander at the Orange County Register.
