A second Los Angeles Dodgers player has revealed he will not visit the White House with the team on July 23. Four-time World Series champion and shortstop Mookie Betts said he will skip the team’s visit but explained his decision was not related to politics.

Instead, Betts wants to utilize that off day to spend time with his family. Betts and his wife, Brianna, welcomed their second daughter and third child, Khari, to the family in April. Betts said his family will be joining him on the roadtrip, so he wants to take advantage of the off day.

“I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal,” Betts said, per the California Post. “We just had a baby. You don’t get many days off. They’re coming [on the road trip]. And just want to hang out with the fam. That’s really kind of it. But people are gonna make it a whole bunch of other stuff.”

Which Other Player is Missing the Visit?

Utility man Kiké Hernández also announced he will not visit the White House with the team later this month. He said he will be on a rehab assignment during that time as he looks to return from the injured list soon.

However, Hernández said he still probably would not attend the White House even if he was healthy.

Both Betts and Hernández have explained how visiting the White House is often a lose-lose situation for the players. Betts has visited the White House twice but skipped the visit after his first World Series victory with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.

Betts later decided to visit the White House in 2020 and 2024 with the Dodgers because he felt skipping the visit was a distraction to the team. Hernández also visited the White House in 2024.

“If I do [go], people are gonna hate me. If I don’t, people are gonna hate me,” Betts said, per the California Post. “So instead of trying to make everyone else happy, I’m gonna think about myself and my family.”

Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

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