The Dodgers on Monday officially placed shortstop Mookie Betts on the IL with a fractured left hand. They recalled Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma in corresponding move.
Betts is out for an indefinite amount of time while his hand heals after he was hit by a pitch in Los Angeles' 3-0 win over the Royals on Sunday. The injury won't require surgery and it isn't expected to be season-ending, but he'll be out long enough to warrant an IL stint.
Vargas was recently sent down to make room Cavan Biggio when Biggio was acquired in a trade with the Blue Jays. He has shown promise as a hitter, particularly this season when he hit .250 with three doubles and a home run in 23 plate appearances across eight games. The Dodgers will need his bat to heat up if he's going to find his way into the lineup.
The bigger problem for Vargas is that he doesn't really have a home defensively. For now though LA needs the offense and Vargas was probably their best option with at least a little versatility to credibly play either on the infield or in the outfield.
