Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts is battling an unexplained illness that has cost him more than 20 pounds, leaving doctors puzzled and keeping him off the field early in the 2025 season.
Betts, who weighed 175 pounds heading into spring training, has dropped to 150 as he struggles to keep down solid food. “I’m scared to eat, so I really don’t know what to do,” he told reporters. Despite undergoing blood tests and other medical evaluations, doctors have yet to pinpoint the cause of his condition.
“I’m practicing all day, and my body’s just kind of eating itself,” Betts said. “Every time I fuel my body, I throw it up.”
The 32-year-old first started feeling sick two days before the Dodgers’ trip to Japan for their season-opening series. The long flight only made things worse. “I thought I would at least give myself a couple of days to heal, but the plane ride was brutal. That was one of the worst flights I’ve ever had,” he recalled.
Betts has missed both of the Dodgers’ regular-season games in Tokyo, as well as two exhibition matchups against the Angels. With the team set to host the Detroit Tigers for their North American opener on Thursday, his return to the lineup remains uncertain.
Despite his significant weight loss, Betts remains eager to play. “It’s just hard to fathom not eating,” he said. “So it looks like I’m just going to be light for a little bit. Maybe I have to play uphill a little bit at the start of the season. But I just want to play, man. I’m tired of sitting, tired of throwing up, tired of dealing with all of this.”