The MLB world was all smiles on Sunday as six legends were officially enshrined in the Hall of Fame, marking a moment of pride, joy, and celebration across the baseball community. But while the sport cheered its newest immortals, not everyone had a reason to celebrate. Amid the festivities, a heavy cloud loomed over Dodgers star Mookie Betts and his family. As others toasted to greatness, Betts was grappling with personal loss—the heartbreaking passing of his beloved stepfather.

The Dodgers star missed the season opener against the Red Sox on Friday, raising eyebrows across the MLB community. However, not late enough, skipper Dave Roberts announced that Betts was in Nashville for personal reasons, highlighting a death in his family. Now, the outfielder has himself come forward to reveal that he lost his stepdad in an unfortunate setback. 

In an interaction with the press after the Dodgers’ series loss to the Red Sox 2-1, Betts revealed that he went to visit his mother and family in Tennessee during these tough times. He attended the funeral of his father, who had been in Betts’ life ever since he was in the 4th grade, per media reports. The long bond clearly defines the importance of his stepdad in Betts’ life, highlighting the tragedy that he and his family had to suffer.

Notably, this comes at a time when Betts is having a turbulent span with the Dodgers. 

The decorated Dodgers star Mookie Betts’ performance has fallen quite a lot. In his 420 plate appearances this season, his batting average stands at around .237, acting as a stark concern for him and the entire team. In his last 30 appearances, he is hitting just .172 with a .478 OPS. Another point to note? Betts himself has admitted to the challenges. 

“It’s very difficult,” Betts said earlier. “I haven’t figured it out. So, obviously, it’s super difficult. But I’ll tell you one thing: I definitely love the process of it. I definitely love the process of trying to figure out who I am, where I’m at, the work. I haven’t found it, and it s—s.”

For now, it will be crucial to see how the latest setback affects the Dodgers star and how soon he can come out of the concerning phase. But amid these testing times, there have been some supportive voices that have rallied around the Dodgers star, and one of them is MLB Insider Kriston Watson.

When Mookie Betts received much-needed backing

The slumping phase that Betts has found himself in has raised eyebrows across the MLB Community. In such times, all a player needs is some support and trust, and Watson has been no different. 

In an interaction on ESPN, a direct question about Mookie Betts and Ohtani caught some attention. The host of the ESPN show said, “I feel sorry for Mookie Betts. He’s a star, but no matter what he does, he can’t surpass Shohei, right?” However, this didn’t seem to sit well with Kristen Watson, who not only rallied behind Betts but also ended up comparing him to Shohei Ohtani. 

Expressing disagreement, Watson said, “But he’s still a star. I think he’s surpassed Shohei in his way. Whether he’s playing right field or shortstop, he’s top class. It might be difficult on other teams. If there are players who want to be the star or are used to being treated like a star, I think it would be difficult because he (Ohtani) will take over everything.” Well, her remarks cannot be ignored either. 

The Ohtani-Betts duo has been a crucial force behind the Dodgers’ success over the past few years. In fact, the team turned their slump around on April 14, 2025, owing to this combo. The rally began with a single by Shohei Ohtani and a stunning solo home run in the third. In the first inning, Mookie Betts smashed a two-run home run to give the club an early lead.  Eventually, the Dodgers defeated Colorado 5–3. And this is just one of the many examples of their contribution.

As the season unfolds, it will be interesting to see if Betts can overcome the challenges and make a heroic comeback soon. Will the Dodgers keep giving him enough chances? Well, that remains to be seen.