​A second player on the Los Angeles Dodgers has announced that he will not accompany the team to the White House visit scheduled for July 23. Shortstop and four-time World Series champion Mookie Betts made clear that he will skip the White House visit, though he emphasized that his choice is not politically motivated. The incident occurred as Betts, a cornerstone of the Dodgers, explained his decision while speaking on July 4, 2026, in Los Angeles, California, during a game at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres. The photograph accompanying the report shows Betts in the first inning, wearing his team uniform, with mandatory credit to Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images.
Betts indicated that he plans to use the off day to spend time with his family. He and his wife, Brianna, welcomed their second daughter and third child, Khari, in April, and Betts said his family would be joining him on the road trip. He wants to take full advantage of the off day to be with them. “I’m not trying to make this a whole big deal,” Betts told the California Post. “We just had a baby. You don’t get many days off. They’re coming [on the road trip]. And I 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.”
Kiké Hernández, the Dodgers’ versatile infielder and outfielder, has also said he will not attend the White House visit later this month. Hernández explained that he will be on a rehab assignment as he works to return from an injury, making his appearance at the White House unlikely for that time frame. The report notes that Hernández is on the path back to full health, and his rehab assignment aligns with a schedule that would keep him away from the White House events.
Both Betts and Hernández have publicly discussed why visiting the White House often presents a tricky, “lose-lose” situation for players. Betts has visited the White House on two occasions but elected not to join the Dodgers’ 2018 visit after winning the World Series with the Boston Red Sox. He later chose to visit with the Dodgers in 2020 and again in 2024, arguing that skipping the visit could be a distraction to the team. Hernández also visited the White House in 2024, adding to the broader discussion about players’ participation in the annual tradition.
Betts elaborated on his reasoning when speaking with the California Post, saying, “If I do [go], people are gonna hate me. If I don’t, people are gonna hate me. So instead of trying to make everyone else happy, I’m going to think about myself and my family.” The post has been widely shared as fans and analysts weigh the implications of players opting out of the White House visit.
This development adds to the ongoing conversation around athletes’ participation in traditional White House ceremonies and the personal considerations players face when balancing professional duties with family priorities. The Dodgers organization has not issued a formal statement beyond the players’ own comments, but the news continues to fuel discussions about the compatibility of political symbolism with sports, as well as the practical realities of athletes managing demanding schedules with family life.
For readers following the Dodgers’ off-season and current season, Betts’s decision is part of a broader pattern among players who choose to prioritize personal and family time on designated off days. As Betts highlighted, the balance between public expectations and private priorities remains a central theme in modern professional sports culture. The Dodgers, meanwhile, proceed with their schedule, keeping in mind the potential questions from fans about roster decisions and the team’s public appearances.
The post, “Mookie Betts Explains Why He Won’t Visit the White House With the Dodgers,” originated on LA Sports Report and has been circulated as part of ongoing discussions about athletes and White House visits.