In a scene that would make even the hardiest Dodgers fan wince, Mookie Betts fractured his left hand after being struck by a pitch from Kansas City Royals pitcher Dan Altavilla. The incident occurred during a game on June 16, 2023, underscoring how precarious the Dodgers' playoff hopes have become.

Betts was hit by the pitch in the seventh inning while he was at bat with a 1-2 count, according to a report from USA Today. The pitch, clocked at 98 mph (97.9 mph according to another source), caught Betts squarely on his left hand. Betts went to the ground in excruciating pain and stayed there for several minutes before walking to the dugout with a notable grimace, where he was replaced by pinch runner Miguel Rojas. The crowd at Dodger Stadium gave him a loud ovation, a blend of sympathy and anxiety for the team’s future, while Altavilla received boos, proving that baseball fans have their own justice system.

Despite the dramatic scene, Betts will not need surgery for his injury, sparing him from additional downtime and his teammates from further existential dread. However, there is currently no timetable for Betts’s return, leaving the Dodgers and their fans in an uncomfortable state of limbo.

Before the injury, Betts was a crucial asset to the Dodgers. He was sporting a .307 batting average, which ranked fifth-best in Major League Baseball, according to New York Post. He led the team in several batting categories: on-base percentage (.407), hits (86), at-bats (280), triples (three), and walks (47). He also had 10 home runs and 40 RBIs. Essentially, Betts was the Swiss Army knife for the Dodgers’ offense.

Mookie Betts is no rookie to accolades, either. He's a seven-time All-Star and a six-time Gold Glove Award winner, and he was the 2018 American League MVP while playing for the Boston Red Sox. Over his career, Betts has maintained a batting average of .295 with 262 home runs and 796 RBIs. Quite the résumé for someone who now must temporarily sit out due to a rogue baseball.

Fans of the Dodgers felt the sting of Betts’s absence even deeper after learning that he was 0-for-3 in the game before his untimely exit. However, the Dodgers managed to clinch a 3-0 victory over the Royals. The win was secured by two home runs from Freddie Freeman and a solo homer from Will Smith, proving that not all hope is lost for Los Angeles even when one of their stars is temporarily out of commission. Still, placing all your postseason hopes on sporadic bursts of home-run genius is a risky strategy at best.

Given Betts’s considerable influence on both offense and defense, his injury won't end his season, but the Dodgers are left biting their nails. Even though Betts’s hand will heal, the uncertainty about when he will return adds another layer of anxiety to the team’s already fragile state.

The Dodgers’ bullpen isn't exactly blessed with the luxury of invincibility, making Betts’s absence all the more palpable. When your playoffs aspirations hinge on the healing of a fractured hand, it forces you to ponder the fragility of not just bones, but baseball campaigns.

So, Dodgers fans, it might be wise to prepare yourselves with a sturdier form of stress relief – be it yoga, meditation, or a well-aged bottle of scotch. Because until Betts makes his triumphant return, every game will serve as a painful reminder that even the sturdiest of hands can become the most fragile part of a team’s hopes.