As irreplaceable as Mookie Betts is, no team is better equipped to handle his absence than the Dodgers.
With the announcement that Betts will miss six to eight weeks due to the left-hand fracture he suffered on Sunday, the Hollywood spotlight is fully on designated hitter Shohei Ohtani.
In 72 games, Betts led the league with 331 plate appearances, and he had a .304 batting average with 10 home runs and 29 total extra-base hits.
Ohtani, already the favorite to be named NL MVP at +200 according to Action Network, will be able to put even more of a grip on the award with his 2018 AL MVP teammate sidelined.
So far this season, Ohtani has a .309 average and 19 home runs. His 53 runs and 165 total bases, as of Monday, led the NL.
Los Angeles (44-29) is first in the NL West and should be able to withstand Betts' injury during the dog days of summer.
The Dodgers hold an eight-game lead over the Padres and are just one of four NL teams with a winning record.
And while Ohtani will receive most of the attention, he isn't the only reason Los Angeles will be fine.
First baseman Freddie Freeman and catcher Will Smith are off to All-Star caliber starts, while utility infielder Miguel Rojas can fill in as a serviceable starter while Betts recovers.
He's appeared in 42 games this season and has .278/.328/.444 batting splits. Per Baseball Savant, Rojas has been particularly effective as a fielder, ranking in the 95th percentile in outs above average, primarily playing shortstop.
Ohtani and the rest of the Dodgers lineup will be even more valuable over the next month with rookie starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (strained rotator cuff) also sidelined.
For most teams, the injuries to Betts and Yamamoto would cause enormous panic, and rightfully so. The Dodgers have spent a lot to insulate themselves from those kinds of losses, and they're about to get their money's worth.
