The Los Angeles Dodgers begin a three-game series at home on Tuesday night against the San Diego Padres.
And while superstar Shohei Ohtani will remain sidelined for Game 1 of the series after landing on the 15-day IL on Sept. 11 with a retroactive date to Sept. 8, he could return Wednesday if the Dodgers deem him ready.
Before the series opener, manager Dave Roberts gave a pivotal update on the two-way star.
Roberts Gives Update on Ohtani
While L.A. has remained solid without Ohtani over the last two weeks, it seems they’re getting healthy at the perfect time.
Roberts revealed that Ohtani will be activated Wednesday and return to the starting lineup.
He said Ohtani is “considerably better” health-wise, noting that if he was a five before landing on the IL, he’s now an eight or nine.
In another pregame announcement, Roberts revealed that right-handed pitcher Blake Snell is in line to make a start Saturday against the San Francisco Giants
BREAKING: Shohei Ohtani will be activated by the Dodgers and return to their lineup when they play the Padres tomorrow, per Dave Roberts 🚨
Blake Snell is also in line to return and start vs his former team, the Giants, on Saturday. pic.twitter.com/Aj1prIlvFF
— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) September 22, 2026
Looking at Ohtani’s 2026 Season
Prior to the knee injury that took him off the mound, Ohtani was the favorite to win the NL MVP. After this most recent IL stint due to another upper-body injury, it pretty much concluded his chances, especially with the way Chicago Cubs superstar Pete Crow-Armstrong has been playing this season.
Nonetheless, it was another stellar regular season for Ohtani, who has appeared in 130 games this season, batting .277 with 89 runs, 139 hits, 30 home runs, and 80 RBIs while slugging .522 with a .902 OPS.
Dodgers Right Now
Los Angeles enters Tuesday night with a 96-60 overall record, which has them firmly placed in one of the top two seeds in the NL.
They still sit two games back of the Milwaukee Brewers for the top seed, but if the standings hold, they’d at the very least receive a first-round bye, but would not clinch home-field advantage throughout as they attempt to win a third straight World Series.
Los Angeles Dodgers Set to Make Pivotal Shohei Ohtani Move During Padres Series