UPDATE (Oct. 27, 12 p.m. PT): Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts did not provide specifics of Shohei Ohtani’s MRI, but said he will be in the lineup for Game 3 of the World Series on Monday.
The Los Angeles Dodgers went up 2-0 in the World Series with a Game 2 victory over the New York Yankees, but an injury to Shohei Ohtani took much of the excitement out of the win.
Ohtani reached safely with a one-out walk in the bottom of the seventh inning and ended up trying to steal second base. He was thrown out to end the inning and immediately began to grab at his left shoulder and wrist.
Dodgers trainer Yosuke “Possum” Nakajima rushed out to the field to check on Ohtani, who continued to support his left arm while slowly walking off the field. Ohtani ended up leaving the dugout and his spot did not come up again in the lineup before the game ended.
After the game, Roberts downplayed the severity of the injury, saying he was told by the trainers it’s a left shoulder subluxation. However, Ohtani is still set to undergo an MRI on Sunday to make sure there is no additional damage after not traveling with the team.
“But the strength was great, the range of motion good,” Roberts said. “So we’re encouraged. But obviously I can’t speculate because we don’t get the scans yet. Once we get the scans, we’ll know more. Again, with the strength, the range of motion good, that’s certainly a positive.”
The Dodgers have overcome many injuries during the 2024 season, and if Ohtani is forced to miss any time, he would join that long list. But Roberts has not thought about a potential next man up for the designated hitter spot and expects to keep their Most Valuable Player in the lineup.
“I’m not there,” Roberts said when asked about Ohtani potentially missing time. “I’m expecting him to be there. I’m expecting him to be in the lineup.”
Overall, it seems the Dodgers dodged a potential serious injury, and the immediate reaction was worse than the actual outcome.
“The scene, very concerning,” Roberts said. “Obviously when you get any one of your players that goes down, it’s concerning. But after kind of the range of motion, the strength test, I felt much better about it.”
Will Shohei Ohtani’s shoulder injury affect his swing?
If Ohtani is back in the lineup for Game 3 on Monday, there is the possibility he plays through some pain and discomfort. Thankfully for Ohtani and the Dodgers, it’s not his lead shoulder while batting, which could make it easier to play through and still be effective.
“I would say that in a vacuum the left shoulder is better than the right shoulder for a left-handed hitter,” Roberts said. “Again, we’ll know more, but to answer your question.”
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