After a frustrating 37-day absence, Mookie Betts is finally ready to lace up his cleats and get back on the field. The Dodgers' star is set to start Monday night against the San Francisco Giants, batting second—a return that couldn't come soon enough for a lineup that's been struggling to find its rhythm.

"I didn't realize how long it takes to really heal," Betts admitted at Dodger Stadium. "I felt pretty good pretty fast, actually. But some of the movements I just couldn't do, lingered for a long time. I was trying to hurry, but the docs were like, 'It takes a month for it to just heal.' Then you have to do all your prep to get back to playing. So you can't really rush time."

That strained right oblique has been a stubborn obstacle, testing even Betts' patience. While he felt improvement early on, the final hurdles proved the toughest. Now, he's stepping back into a Dodgers offense that's been in a serious slump—scoring just seven runs in their last three games against the Braves and managing three or fewer runs in eight of their previous 11 contests.

But don't expect Betts to ride in as a lone savior. Manager Dave Roberts is taking a measured approach. "Two games of rehab, taking batting practice, a day of live at-bats is not ideal, but I think with Mookie, you just don't know," Roberts said. "The hope is that he can hit the ground running."

For Betts, the key is keeping things simple. "Things feel pretty close to the same. I remember all the drills that I did, but the more I focused on my swing, the worse it got. I think hit, take care of myself, and just play the games," he explained. "Whatever the game gives you is what it gives you. I'm not trying to focus on how my swing feels."

The Dodgers have a careful plan to ease him back: Betts will get days off on Wednesday and Saturday this week, with Miguel Rojas likely handling shortstop duties against Giants lefty Robbie Ray on Wednesday. "It's more on the front end, just kind of how it's been a while since he played," Roberts noted. "So the two-on, one-off, two-on, one-off, then after six days I think he's going to want to be in there regularly. We'll kind of see, but this is more about the front-end progression."

Of course, they'll adjust based on how Betts feels—and as of Monday, he's feeling good. "I'm fine. I expect I'll just keep going," he said, ready to help turn the Dodgers' offense around.