Shohei Ohtani returned to the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Saturday night after missing the series opener against the Baltimore Orioles to be with his wife, Mamiko, as she gave birth to the couple’s second child.
The two-way star quickly got back on track by going 1-for-4 with his 16th home run of the season. He has continued to produce despite being plagued by a blister on his right middle finger and inflammation in his left knee in recent weeks.
“I talked to him briefly, congratulated him and Mamiko,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “He says his body feels great, so the day off was good for him. But I didn’t talk much about anything else. I think for us, it’s just continue to move forward like we’ve been doing.”
Ohtani is lined up to make his next pitching start against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on Wednesday, and even with his minor injury concerns, Roberts sees no reason why he wouldn’t be able to take the mound.
However, the Dodgers skipper left open the possibility of Ohtani possibly receiving more rest in between starts at some point.
“Potentially,” Roberts said. “But I think we do this Dermabond, and today, I don’t know if it came off or he didn’t use it, and that’s what spurred the bleeding late.
“So I feel good that right now, I don’t see why he won’t make his start — I don’t know if it’s next Wednesday or next Thursday. But down the road, could it happen? Potentially. Right now, I think we’re still in a good spot. He came out of it well.”
Ohtani made his most recent pitching start against the Tampa Bay Rays last Wednesday, but was held out of the Dodgers’ lineup. He did manage to take an at-bat in the sixth inning, which caused L.A. to lose the designated hitter spot for the remainder of the game.
Shohei Ohtani leaving decisions up to Dodgers
The Dodgers have attempted to reduce Ohtani’s workload this season by keeping him out of the lineup on days he pitches, which is usually followed by an off day on the schedule.
L.A. could find other ways to further manage the amount of rest Ohtani receives, but he will leave any potential decisions up to the team.
“In terms of workload and quantity, I’ll let the team decide and take charge of that,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “My No. 1 goal is to make sure we’re all healthy leading up to the playoffs.
“We have a set schedule, and I’m just going to do what I’m supposed to do during that schedule. I’ll let the management handle the workload.”
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