Shohei Ohtani made significant progress toward returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers over the weekend as he looks to return from left knee and right arm/bicep trouble that has thrown his 2026 season well off course.
Ohtani took 30 to 40 swings off the Trajekt machine after recently hitting against a coach. He then ran the bases on the field with Dodgers strength coach Travis Smith overseeing the work.
Ohtani is eligible to be activated off the 15-day injured list on Sept. 23, and manager Dave Roberts believes that remains a viable possibility.
“Still up in the air, but that’s our hope,” Roberts said.
If Ohtani returns on Wednesday against the San Diego Padres, he will have only five regular season games to prepare for the playoffs. He won’t go on a Minor League rehab assignment due to it being so late in the season.
“Absolutely. He’ll need those live at-bats,” Roberts said when asked if he plans to play Ohtani through the end of the regular season.
That’s going to represent a change from when Ohtani was last active. He missed four consecutive games and then was out of the lineup again one day after returning on Sept. 7. That wound up leading to the stint on the injured list.
Prior to Ohtani going on the IL, he had long appeared compromised at the plate because of his lingering injuries. Roberts conceded that Ohtani likely isn’t back to full strength but said he should be able to manage any discomfort for the remainder of the season.
“Discomfort he can play through. I would say pain-free. I think there’s a difference between discomfort and pain,” Roberts began.
“Is it 100%? Probably not. Is it better than it was a week ago? Yes. Honestly, I think that’s a better question for Shohei, to get more specifics. But I do think when he’s activated, it’s going to be the best physical place he’s been in quite some time.”
Shohei Ohtani’s role
When Ohtani does return, he will be limited to designated hitter duties as the team has all but ruled him out of pitching again this year.
“Disappointing, but I want to make sure that when I look back on this season, I use it as a learning experience and make sure I use it as something to improve upon for next season,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton earlier this month.
While it’s not the outcome that Ohtani hoped for, he understands his importance as a hitter and will try to do everything he can to lead the Dodgers to a third consecutive World Series title.
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