Just as the Los Angeles Dodgers' starting lineup began to erupt offensively over the past few days against the Washington Nationals, they have hit a slight roadbump. 

According to Jack Harris of the California Post, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced to the media that they have placed Mookie Betts on the Injured List with a right oblique strain. 

In the corresponding move, Hyeseong Kim has been recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City. 

In the Dodgers' Saturday afternoon victory over the Nats, all eyes were focused on Betts' absence as he was removed from the game in the first inning and replaced by Miguel Rojas at shortstop. 

He did have an at-bat in the first inning, which resulted in a walk, and later came around to score on Freddie Freeman's two-run double. But Betts was seen noticeably walking cautiously after rounding the bases on Freddie Freeman's two-run double. 

According to David Vassegh of AM 570 LA SPORTS, Roberts said that Betts tweaked his oblique on a check swing during his first at-bat. He started to feel pain in his oblique while rounding the bases. 

The Dodgers revealed that Betts suffered a lower right back strain in the following inning.

In Saturday's postgame, Roberts said that regardless of what the MRI on Betts back reveals, he was going to miss the next couple of games. 

Roberts told the media on Sunday morning that the MRI revealed a right oblique strain and Betts will be placed on the IL. 

He did not give out a specific date or timeline for when Betts is set to return. Due to the unpredictability of oblique strain injuries, it could be a costly blow for the Dodgers so early in the season.

But Roberts is hopeful that Betts could return before the expected 4-6 weeks of recovery that it usually takes for an oblique to recover from. 

Roberts said that when he heard it was an oblique issue, he felt a "little something in your stomach." 

But after talking to Betts, he "felt a little more reassured today" that Betts will be back soon enough. 

So, what does that mean for Kim? 

Roberts said that Kim and Rojas will be getting the lion's share of starts at shortstop, while Alex Freeland will remain platooning at second base. 

Despite not making the Opening Day roster to begin the year, Kim has made leaps in terms of his discipline at the plate down in Oklahoma City. 

He is currently hitting .346 in Triple-A, and his strikeout numbers that were such a big outlier in his rookie year have improved, only striking out seven times this season. 

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