Betts is temporarily stepping away from the Dodgers' lineup for adjustments and may continue to be absent tomorrow.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts decided to rest shortstop Mookie Betts during today's 7-8 loss to the Brewers, providing this struggling star with a chance to recalibrate. "It's uncertain how long the rest will last, possibly one or two days," Roberts stated, "We expect him back tomorrow, but we will evaluate his mental readiness to face the starting pitcher on a daily basis."

This rest was not part of a predetermined plan—Betts had just had four days off with teammates who did not participate in the All-Star activities. Observing his frustration carry over from the pre-season to yesterday's defeat, Roberts determined that an extended adjustment period was necessary. "He wants to contribute but is stuck in an unusual slump," Roberts explained, "His defense remains excellent, but the psychological pressure of feeling like he is letting the team down is very real."

In 90 games this season, Betts has a batting line of .241/.311/.377, with only 11 home runs, 45 RBIs, and 56 runs scored. His OPS of .688 ranks just above Michael Conforto's .617 among the eight qualifying hitters on the Dodgers. Although he has recorded six hits in nine games since his July 2 absence, he has gone hitless in 12 at-bats over the last two games of the first half and the first game of the second half.

Betts is experiencing an atypical season: a stomach virus at the end of spring training caused him to lose 18 pounds, impacting his power at the start of the season, and he suffered an accidental fracture to his left toe at home in early June. However, he denies that his struggles at the plate are related to injuries or switching to shortstop—data shows that when he played shortstop last year, he had an OPS of .907 (280 plate appearances), better than the .840 OPS (179 plate appearances) he posted in right field.

"It's definitely been tough, but I have to face the facts," Betts admitted at the end of June, "The fact that I’m playing shortstop full-time isn’t the main issue; getting back to form after being sick is the key variable." The Dodgers' lineup has been collectively struggling: since June 2, Shohei Ohtani, Betts, and Freddie Freeman have combined for an OPS of only .679, significantly lower than their previous .959.

Roberts dismissed any plans to move Betts to the second spot in the batting order: "If changing his spot could truly activate his performance, I would do it, but moving him down now would not benefit his mindset." In today’s game, Ohtani hit his 33rd home run of the season (2 hits, 3 RBIs) to reclaim the National League home run lead, while Freeman went hitless in four at-bats with one walk. The Dodgers have won only 2 of their last 11 games; a revival of their core lineup is essential for the team’s offense to get back on track.