The Los Angeles Dodgers are continuing to roll towards the playoffs, as they picked up a 5-3 victory over the Washington Nationals on Friday night. However, for the second straight game, superstar slugger Shohei Ohtani was not in the team’s lineup, as he continues to battle a slew of injuries.
Ohtani has been battling left knee soreness for much of the year, which has led to him not taking the mound as a pitcher for a couple of months now. As of late, though, he has also been battling neck and biceps injuries, which have led to his aforementioned absence. When asked whether or not Ohtani may require a stint on the injured list, manager Dave Roberts issued a worrying update on the situation.
Dave Roberts ‘Hopeful’ Shohei Ohtani Will Avoid a Trip to the Injured List
While Ohtani is turning in another excellent season for Los Angeles, he hasn’t come close to reaching the heights he has hit in the past. Through 129 games, Ohtani is hitting .279 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, but considering how he hit 50-plus home runs in each of the past two years, his production has taken a step back.
Early in the year, Ohtani was making his mark as a pitcher. In his most extensive work on the mound since 2023, Ohtani racked up an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 14 starts, but a cranky left knee has prevented him from pitching since early July, and it remains to be seen if he will return to the starting rotation at any point this season.
As long as Ohtani remains in the lineup, the Dodgers should have enough starting pitching to get by without him. New ailments are resulting in him being held off the field entirely now, though, and after two straight absences, there’s some real cause for concern. When addressing Ohtani’s status, Roberts said he is “hopeful” he won’t land on the injured list, but he refused to make any guarantees in that department.
“Hopeful, but I wouldn’t say confident,” Roberts said when asked about Ohtani potentially avoiding the injured list. “Hopeful. We’ll see … What we saw a couple nights ago wasn’t him. So clearly he was not feeling well.”
Dodgers Aiming to Have Shohei Ohtani Fully Healthy for the Playoffs
At this point, the Dodgers are simply trying to ensure that they are as healthy as possible for the playoffs. Obviously, Ohtani is a key piece of the puzzle, so his status bears watching. He very well may not be able to pitch again this year, but in order for L.A. to win its third-straight World Series, it is going to need him leading the way in its lineup.
If keeping Ohtani fresh requires a stint on the injured list, so be it. Nobody is saying that is an ideal situation, but the remainder of the regular season isn’t wildly important for Los Angeles. The goal remains to win a championship, and as long as Ohtani is healthy, the Dodgers will be the overwhelming favorite to win it all this year. And yet, all eyes will be on Los Angeles’ lineup card Saturday to see if Ohtani can get himself back in the lineup.
Dodgers Manager Dave Roberts Issues Worrying Shohei Ohtani Injury Update