SAN DIEGO – The Dodgers can’t afford another disappearance. It could lead to another disappearance.

A year ago, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman finished second and third in the National League Most Valuable Player Award voting — then combined to go 1-for-21 in the Dodgers’ NL Division Series flop against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Since then, the duo has worn these numbers like scarlet letters.

Freeman doubled the scoring tally with two singles in Game 1 of this year’s NLDS against the San Diego Padres. But Freeman aggravated his ankle injury hitting a break ball from Yu Darvish and had to leave Game 2 after five innings. His availability for Game 3 on Tuesday night at Petco Park will be a game-time decision (as it was before Game 1).

“The thought is that he will play tomorrow. If he can’t do it, he won’t do it,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “And then obviously (left-hander Martin) Perez will win Game 4 or most of it (for the Padres). “That might be a day where we could give him an extra day.

“But again, if he can play and post, he’ll be there.”

Betts was able to play, but that only made his pain worse.

He appeared three times (once intentionally) in the Dodgers’ Game 1 win, but otherwise went hitless in six at-bats in that series. He hasn’t had a postseason hit since a leadoff single in Game 3 of the 2022 NLDS against the Padres. 22 hitless attacks followed.

“I can see that – I don’t know if it’s fear or the pressure of past performances – starting to take hold. This is something I don’t want. I get it,” Roberts said.

“I’ll have a little chat with him. The fact is, you can’t change the final “X” of postseason games. I understand the stress a player might have. But all anyone is worried about is the moment and how best to mentally prepare for tomorrow night and the first fight. So that’s basically going to be my message.”

However, it is “pretty impossible” to forget, Betts said.

“Most importantly – you do your work, but you ask me about it. So there’s no way out,” Betts said after practice on Monday. “The whole world knows. It’s not like it’s a secret. I know. Nobody tells me anything I don’t already know. Nobody can be harder on myself. The only thing I can really do is look forward, but I know it’s there.

“I am human. I live it. Nobody tells me anything that I haven’t already seen and known. I’m trying, man. That’s all I can say.”

One of his hitless at-bats in Game 2 cleared the fence in the left field corner at Dodger Stadium, but Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar reached in and stole a home run from Betts.

Betts dismissed this as a positive sign or a good shot that just came to an unfortunate end.

“It’s an out. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a fly out, a ground out or a strikeout. It’s an out. It’s all the same,” Betts said Monday.

Betts’ postseason woes extend beyond the current 0-22 slump. He’s also just third in his last 44, dating back to the 2021 NLCS. And in 60 postseason games with the Dodgers and Boston Red Sox, the eight-time All-Star has hit .245 with a .700 OPS – numbers that are a far cry from his career average of .294 and .897 OPS in the regular season .