After a five-week battle with an oblique injury, Mookie Betts is back where he belongs—in the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup. The eight-time All-Star returned Monday night for the series opener against the San Francisco Giants, slotting in at the number two spot behind Shohei Ohtani and ahead of Freddie Freeman. It's a return that couldn't come at a better time for a Dodgers team that had dropped seven of their last 11 games, scoring three runs or fewer in eight of those contests.

"We just have to make sure we swing at good pitches," Betts said before the game, showing the focused mindset that's made him a perennial MVP candidate. "Those guys are good, too. They drive nice cars, too. We just have to control the zone, swing at good pitches."

Betts' injury—a right oblique strain that landed him on the injured list April 5—was a frustrating setback for a player who had been red-hot in spring training, batting .357 with a .786 OPS in five games. But the 33-year-old shortstop learned a valuable lesson about the healing process. "I just didn't really realize how long it takes for it to really heal," he admitted. "I felt pretty good pretty fast actually. But just some of the movements I couldn't do kind of lingered for a long time."

Before the injury, Betts was batting .179 (5 for 28) with two home runs in eight games—a slow start compared to his usual standards. But he's quick to remind everyone that baseball is a team sport. "I know I'm not the hero," said the 2018 AL MVP. "It's important for everyone to know it's going to take all of us and not just one guy getting through their struggles or whatever it is."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is taking a cautious approach, planning to start Betts at shortstop Monday and Tuesday before giving him Wednesday off. "After seven days, six days, I think he's going to want to be in there regularly, but we'll kind of see," Roberts noted.

With two minor league rehab games under his belt (2 for 5), Betts is easing back into the swing of things. For a team that's been struggling to find offensive consistency, his return is a welcome sight—and a reminder that the Dodgers' championship aspirations hinge on contributions from every player, not just one superstar.