Dave Roberts Speaks on Roster Move With Betts Return Looming

Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is set to return from his rehab assignment, and the Dodgers have a difficult choice to make when he ultimately returns.

Betts made two appearances on his rehab assignment, both with Triple-A Oklahoma City over the weekend. He went 2-for-5 with two singles and a walk. With his return imminent, the Dodgers will have to either option Hyeseong Kim or Alex Freeland to the minors, designate Santiago Espinal for assignment or move Miguel Rojas, who left Friday’s game with a “dead leg,” to the injured list.

“We’ve got a tough decision,” manager Dave Roberts said. “All of the options, potentially for the corresponding move, these guys have done a great job and served a very good purpose for our club. It’s a good problem in the sense of where we’re at. But it’s a (tough) conversation.”

“…I think you’re circling around it as far as who’s going to get the lion’s share (of time), how much is Mookie going to play, the value of somebody going to the minors and playing more versus having some optionality with the roster. There’s a lot of different kind of ways you can go about it. We’re in the process of having those conversations now.”

Mar 2, 2026; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) and manager Dave Roberts (30) talk before a game against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

What is Each Player’s Case to Stay Up?

While Rojas suffered the minor injury in Friday’s game, he will likely remain with the team, as he said he would probably be fine and was present on the bench for the series finale on Sunday—though he didn’t come into the game.

The main conversation is between Freeland, Kim and Espinal.

Kim came up to the majors when Betts landed on the injured list early in the season, and has proven he can provide value to the Dodgers’ lineup over the last month or so. He has a .289 batting average through 29 games played, hitting a homer and driving in eight runs during that stretch.

He has a .748 OPS—the highest of the three players in jeopardy of losing their spot—and has also been valuable on the bases, stealing five bags in six attempts.

Freeland has played a few more games than Kim, but his offensive results haven’t been as good. He has a .235/.309/.337 slash line with two homers and eight RBIs, and his walk rate—which then Dodgers valued highly heading into the season—hasn’t been very impressive. He has just 11 walks through 112 plate appearances, which ranks just above league average.

He’s been great defensively, though, posting three outs above average this season, which ranks in the 94th percentile of MLB.

Espinal has been the least impactful of the three, though he also carries a veteran presence and positional versatility across the infield. The 31-year-old has made 20 appearances, making just six hits and posting a .438 OPS. His defense has also been good, but not quite to the same degree of Freeland.

Who do you think the Dodgers should send down when Mookie Betts returns Monday?