Mookie Betts Returns to Dodgers Lineup vs. Giants

Mookie Betts is expected to rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday for the start of a four-game series against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium. The 33-year-old will return after completing a two-game minor-league rehabilitation assignment with the team's Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City, where he collected two hits in five at-bats.

Manager Dave Roberts said Betts will probably bat in the No. 2 or 3 spot in the lineup. Roberts described the return as "a shot in the arm" that lengthens the batting order and could infuse energy into the club, while noting it raises the floor for the team's recently dormant offense.

The Dodgers have gone 9-12 over their last 21 games and scored only seven runs across their most recent three-game series. Roberts attributed some of the offensive woes to empty at-bats, early outs and a failure to pass the baton between hitters, though he said Betts' absence was only part of the problem.

Several established Dodgers hitters have struggled in recent weeks. 267. The team's only consistent performer of late was on the wrong end of a spectacular defensive play that robbed him of a bases-loaded extra-base hit during Sunday's loss. Players have been working to fix swing mechanics, creating challenges in competition.

One veteran said it is tough to compete while trying to figure things out and that the team plans to emphasize simply competing in the batter's box again. 258. The Dodgers advised him to scale back his winter training, leading him to declare in spring training that he expected to perform at an MVP level again.