Mookie Betts Returns to Dodgers Roster After Injury

Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts returned to the active roster on Monday, ready to start at shortstop in the series opener against the San Francisco Giants at Dodger Stadium, five weeks after suffering a right oblique strain.

Betts had missed 35 games since April 5, when he was placed on the 10-day injured list. In eight games before the injury, he batted .179 with two home runs and seven RBIs. He completed a two-game rehabilitation assignment Friday and Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, going 2-for-5 with a walk. Manager Dave Roberts said Betts would bat second or third in the lineup, near the top of the order.

The activation creates a roster decision for Roberts. Hyeseong Kim, Alex Freeland and Santiago Espinal platooned effectively at shortstop and second base during Betts's absence, with Kim performing strongly at .289 in 86 plate appearances and Freeland raising his average to .235. Espinal, batting .188, provides utility and late-inning defense but lacks minor-league options. Roberts indicated Betts would initially share time at shortstop before easing into everyday duty.

"It's a good problem in a sense of where we're at, but it's a potential tough conversation,"...