The MLB world was all smiles on Sunday as six legends were officially enshrined in the Hall of Fame, marking a moment of pride, joy, and celebration across the baseball community. But while the sport cheered its newest immortals, not everyone had a reason to celebrate. Amid the festivities, a heavy cloud loomed over Dodgers star Mookie Betts and his family. As others toasted to greatness, Betts was grappling with personal loss—the heartbreaking passing of his beloved stepfather.

The Dodgers star missed the season opener against the Red Sox on Friday, raising eyebrows across the MLB community. However, not late enough, skipper Dave Roberts announced that Betts was in Nashville for personal reasons, highlighting a death in his family. Now, the outfielder has himself come forward to reveal that he lost his stepdad in an unfortunate setback. 

In an interaction with the press after the Dodgers’ series loss to the Red Sox 2-1, Betts revealed that he went to visit his mother and family in Tennessee during these tough times. He attended the funeral of his father, who had been in Betts’ life ever since he was in the 4th grade, per media reports. The long bond clearly defines the importance of his stepdad in Betts’ life, highlighting the tragedy that he and his family had to suffer.

Notably, this comes at a time when Betts is having a turbulent span with the Dodgers. 

The decorated Dodgers star Mookie Betts’ performance has fallen quite a lot. In his 420 plate appearances this season, his batting average stands at around .237, acting as a stark concern for him and the entire team. In his last 30 appearances, he is hitting just .172 with a .478 OPS. Another point to note? Betts himself has admitted to the challenges. 

“It’s very difficult,” Betts said earlier. “I haven’t figured it out. So, obviously, it’s super difficult. But I’ll tell you one thing: I definitely love the process of it. I definitely love the process of trying to figure out who I am, where I’m at, the work. I haven’t found it, and it s—s.”

For now, it will be crucial to see how the latest setback affects the Dodgers star and how soon he can come out of the concerning phase.