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- Mookie Betts slump update: Dodgers star amid struggles, 'It's up to God at this point'</p>
<p>James H. Williams, USA TODAY August 4, 2025 at 10:26 PM</p>
<p>As the Los Angeles Dodgers look to repeat as World Series Champions, the historic franchise will need its star-studded roster to rise to the occasion again this season.</p>
<p>Among those stars is Mookie Betts, who has accomplished just about everything the sport of baseball has to offer.</p>
<p>The latest hurdle in his career is his season-long slump.</p>
<p>Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had briefly benched Betts before moving him to the leadoff spot in the lineup on July 20.</p>
<p>Roberts tried switching Betts and Shohei into the first two spots for 11 games, hoping it would create a spark for Betts.</p>
<p>"I've done everything possible," Betts told reporters on Sunday in Tampa. "It's just kind of the same result. I'm out of answers. I've done everything I can do. It's up to God at this point."</p>
<p>The manager decided to move Betts back to second in the batting order on Sunday with Ohtani now back to leadoff in the lineup. He would go 0-for-3 and is now 0-for-16 over the last four games.</p>
<p>Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts (50) high fives teammates after the victory over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio on July 28, 2025.</p>
<p>Betts has a .233 batting average this season with 93 hits, 11 home runs and 48 runs batted in. He has a career-low .664 OPS this season.</p>
<p>Betts has averaged 142 hits, 94 runs, 24 home runs, and 73 RBI throughout his career. He also has a .290 career batting average and a .881 career OPS.</p>
<p>Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently moved Betts from the leadoff spot to second in the lineup with the hope that it can help make a difference.</p>
<p>"I thought yesterday in a vacuum that he had a good offensive day," Roberts told reporters before Sunday's game. "I really did. I thought he had good at-bats. … Other days it looks like he is lost."</p>
<p>Roberts did not completely shy away from the possibility of still moving Betts around in the lineup, but a lot of it may depend on what he sees from Betts going forward and what the rest of the roster looks like in terms of health.</p>
<p>Max Muncy is expected to return to the Dodgers' lineup soon and has been playing for the Triple-A Oklahoma City Comets this past weekend. There is a possibility that Betts could continue to shift around in the lineup after Muncy returns.</p>
<p>On Betts, Roberts expressed his desire to "instill my faith in him and confidence in him."</p>
<p>"I know he is frustrated and obviously at a point now where he wants results, which I can appreciate, but hopefully he can build off the at-bats quality from yesterday," Roberts added.</p>
<p>Betts continues to work closely with his hitting coaches to refine his mechanics at the plate, but the Dodgers manager believes that there may be a mental aspect contributing to the slump.</p>
<p>Off the field, it has been just as tough a season for Betts.</p>
<p>Before the start of the season, Betts was dealing with an undiagnosed illness that caused him to lose approximately 18 pounds in a two-week span and he was throwing up every time he had solid foods. He did undergo necessary blood work and vital tests, but everything came back normal.</p>
<p>Betts recently spent a few days away from the Dodgers to be with his family, located in Nashville.</p>
<p>"My stepdad passed, so I had to go home," Betts told reporters on July 27. "(He's) been there in my life from fourth grade until now, so that was tough for me and the family.</p>
<p>"I just had to be there for my mom and my brothers and sisters. It's just a tough time and there's no real way to really explain something like that outside of just being there and spending time with the family."</p>
<p>When will Mookie Betts and the Dodgers play next?</p>
<p>Betts and the Dodgers will play six games at home this week. The St. Louis Cardinals will start a three-game series with the Dodgers on Monday, Aug. 4 at 10:10 p.m. ET.</p>
<p>The Toronto Blue Jays will visit Dodger Stadium for a three-game series starting Friday, Aug. 8.</p>
<p>This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mookie Betts, Dodgers continue looking for answers to brutal slump</p>
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