Shohei Ohtani is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for a third consecutive game as he remains limited by left knee soreness, right bicep discomfort and neck trouble as well.
The Dodgers have sat Ohtani since he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in an extra-innings loss against the St. Louis Cardinals. “I saw the same thing that everyone saw,” manager Dave Roberts said after the game. “I saw the shaking of the arm, I saw the wincing, and clearly the swings aren’t who he is. Obviously there’s some compensation.”
Roberts then sent a text message to inform Ohtani he would not play in the series finale against the Cardinals. He deemed the two-way superstar day-to-day moving forward and maintained going on the injured list wasn’t likely.
However, Roberts then softened on that stance when discussing Ohtani’s status before Friday’s game.
“Hopeful,” Roberts answered when asked if still he believed Ohtani would avoid the IL. “But I wouldn’t say confident. Hopeful. We’ll see.”
After the Dodgers’ win over the Washington Nationals, Roberts said he wasn’t yet certain of Ohtani’s availability for the second game of the weekend series.
“I think that I’ll talk to him tonight, and then we’ll see how he comes in tomorrow,” Roberts said.
Whereas Thursday was a full off day for Ohtani, he did do do some activity Friday even if it didn’t amount to being available off the bench.
In addition to Ohtani’s physical ailments keeping him out of the lineup for the past few days, there are questions over a potential return to pitching as well. He essentially has been shut down since a shortened bullpen session on Aug. 28, and isn’t so much as doing work with plyo balls.
Now that Ohtani has missed three games in a row, it’s possible the Dodgers decide on Sunday to put him on the 15-day injured list and still backdate it without capitalizing on the time he’s already been out.
Dodgers lineup without Shohei Ohtani
Alex Call was the Dodgers’ designated hitter on Thursday and Friday, and Tommy Edman filled the leadoff hitter role in both games. Edman is again in the leadoff spot on Saturday, though Dalton Rushing is assuming DH duties.
CF: Tommy Edman
1B: Freddie Freeman
SS: Mookie Betts
3B: Max Muncy
RF: Kyle Tucker
LF: Teoscar Hernández
DH: Dalton Rushing
2B: Alex Freeland
C: Hunter Feduccia
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