Sunday, March 1, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Los Angeles Angels 4-to-3 on a hot Sunday afternoon at Camelback Ranch.

Landon Knack didn’t get out of the first after allowing three runs, including two home runs. On Sunday, he let too many pitches in the center of the plate. After 2 outs and 26 pitches, Dave Roberts lifted Knack after having a brief conversation with his younger pitcher. If the Dodgers suffered an injury to the pitching staff, they might promote Knack.

After Knack, the Dodgers used nine relievers who kept the Angels scoreless.

Coming off a surprising rookie campaign with 67 appearances, 4 saves, and a 2.95 ERA, Jack Dreyer figures to be a major part of the Dodgers’ bullpen. At 27, he proved he had a rubber arm and an ability to get righties and lefties out. He has looked sharp this spring.

After the Dodgers played eight exhibition games, Mookie Betts made his spring training debut. He is healthy. The Dodgers are slow-playing him after he had an exhausting and disappointing 2025 season offensively.

Betts transitioned from right field to shortstop at the age of 32, which is unheard of in baseball. He was a National League Gold Glove finalist. His defensive prowess helped the Dodgers win back-to-back World Championships. Every day, he was the first player on the field to practice his craft.

Betts’ offensive numbers suffered. He had been one of the elite hitters in the National League since coming to the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox, where he won the 2018 American League MVP. Although he had a solid 2025 campaign with a .258 batting average, 20 home runs, and 82 RBI in 150 games, the offensive statistics weren’t up to his lofty standards.

An early-season stomach virus, causing Betts to lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks, was the culprit for his sudden offensive decline. He fell into bad habits, which led to pop-ups and lazy fly balls.

This spring, Betts is refocusing on the basics and trying to find a balance between practicing defense and offense. Roberts thinks that Betts can return to an MVP-level offense. This year, Roberts plans to hit Betts in third in the lineup, between Kyle Tucker and Freddie Freeman. The Dodgers need Betts to be Betts to have a legitimate shot at three-peating.