Mookie Betts a late addition to Dodgers’ lineup for doubleheader on Thursday following Wednesday’s walk-out

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Three Major League Baseball games on Wednesday — Brewers vs. Reds, Dodgers vs. Giants, Mariners vs. Padres — were postponed as players joined their NBA brethren to protest racial injustice in America following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, by police. Others like Jason Heyward and Matt Kemp sat out their games.

« Given the pain in the communities of Wisconsin and beyond following the shooting of Jacob Blake, we respect the decisions of a number of players not to play tonight, » MLB said in a statement. « Major League Baseball remains united for change in our society and we will be allies in the fight to end racism and injustice. »

Dodgers star Mookie Betts told reporters, including Alex Pavlovic of NBC Bay Area, he wasn’t going to play Wednesday one way or the other. Manager Dave Roberts added he would not have managed Wednesday’s game, and scheduled starter Clayton Kershaw said the team needed to do something. Kershaw has been outspoken about racial injustice the last several months.

« For me, no matter what, I wasn’t going to play tonight, » Betts told Pavlovic on Wednesday. « There’s a lot going on in the world and change needs to be made. I have to use my platform to at least get the ball rolling. I talked to my teammates and told them how I felt, and they all were by my side. »  

The Dodgers and Giants will make up Wednesday’s game during a doubleheader Thursday. Betts was not in the original Game 1 lineup:

Betts was, however, in the leadoff spot in an updated Game 1 later announced by the Dodgers, according to MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick. At this time it is unclear whether Betts being omitted from the original lineup was to protest racial injustice similar to Heyward and Kemp on Wednesday, or whether it was something else (nursing an injury, a simple mistake, etc.)

« Hopefully this day is remembered because it’s the first step to change, » Betts told Pavlovic on Wednesday. « I know I’ll always remember it. Hopefully it’s the first step to change. »   

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SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com