With less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Los Angeles Dodgers are hopeful that Shohei Ohtani, Andy Pages and other key contributors will return before the playoffs begin.
Ohtani was placed on the 15-day injured list with an official designation of right biceps inflammation and the stint was backdated to Sept. 8. He has also been dealing with lingering left knee discomfort and more recently a neck issue as well.
Meanwhile, Pages has been sidelined since Aug. 21 after he suffered a left hand fracture when he was hit by a pitch from Pittsburgh Pirates starter Bubba Chandler. Pages underwent surgery in the days that followed and was initially estimated to need four to five weeks to heal.
Dodgers injury updates
Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani is slated to take the next step in his recovery on Tuesday as the Dodgers continue their series against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park.
“He’s going to swing the bat off a tee,” manager Dave Roberts revealed on SportsNet LA. “It’s his first day swinging the bat.”
Ohtani to this point has been limited to lifting weights, working out and receiving treatment for his injuries. With time becoming increasingly important, the Dodgers believe he is right on schedule with his hitting progression.
“This is what him and the training staff kind of agreed upon,” Roberts said when asked of the team’s timeline for Ohtani to resume swinging a bat.
Ohtani is eligible to be activated off the IL on Sept. 23, at which point the Dodgers will have five regular season games remaining. Roberts remains confident that the 32-year-old can reach a reasonable level of health before October.
However, Ohtani is unlikely to pitch again in 2026. That’s a disappointing outcome for the two-way star, but his focus is on contributing as a hitter and helping the Dodgers win a third consecutive World Series.
Andy Pages
After initially being limited to hitting off a tee, Pages has continued with a hitting progression and will further ramp up on Tuesday.
“Andy hit [Monday], went well; the softer balls. So I think [Tuesday] he’s going to start swinging in the cage with some baseballs,” Roberts said. “He’s trending really well.”
Considering the relatively tight window for Ohtani and Pages, the Dodgers would certainly stand to benefit from finishing with a top-two record in the National League and therefore clinching a bye in the first round of the postseason. They officially clinched a playoff spot on Monday and currently hold the No. 2 seed in the NL.
If the Dodgers can secure a top-two seed, it would afford a few extra days for Ohtani and Pages to continue getting healthy. Otherwise, they are looking at the potential of starting a Wild Card Series the day after the regular season concludes.
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