Dodgers win and lose.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar and runaway favorite for National League MVP Shohei Ohtani sustained a shoulder injury while attempting to steal a base in the bottom of the 7th inning, in the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series Saturday.
The Japanese slugger suffered a left shoulder subluxation and will undergo further testing, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the game, adding that the team is however “encouraged” about the injury.
“The strength was great,” Roberts told reporters. “The range of motion good. So, we’re encouraged. But obviously I can’t speculate because we don’t get the scans yet. So, once we get the scans, we’ll know more. Again, with the strength, the range of motion good, that’s certainly a positive.”
A shoulder subluxation takes place when “the humerus partially slides in and out of place quickly,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
With the Dodgers up 4-1 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Ohtani attempted to steal second base but was thrown out to end the inning. Ohtani, however, stayed on the ground grimacing in pain for several minutes and eventually walked off the field with trainers stabilizing his left arm.
Roberts said watching Ohtani on the ground in pain was “concerning.”
“Obviously when you get any one of your players that goes down, it’s concerning,” Roberts said. “But after kind of the range of motion, the strength test, I felt much better about it.”
According to the FOX broadcast, microphones were able to pick up an exchange between Ohtani and trainers saying that his left shoulder appears to have popped out of its socket.
This year’s playoffs mark Ohtani’s first appearance in the postseason after he missed out in each of his six seasons alongside Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels.
The star player is riding on a series of remarkable feats in recent months, including hitting his 50th home run of the season and stealing his 50th base in the Dodgers’ victory over the Miami Marlins on September 19. Ohtani went on to rack up his 51st of each stat by the end of the game.
Embed from Getty ImagesThough Ohtani has had an exceptional debut season with the Dodgers, the 30-year-old has had to deal with his fair share of injuries.
Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023, a year to the day before he opened the 50-50 club, and was advised that he likely would not be able to take the mound until 2025; on paper, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the transcendent two-way star.
Even after taking time off from pitching, Ohtani remains the favorite to win the NL MVP award, potentially the first to do so having played solely as a designated hitter.
Ohtani has been working around the clock to regain the strength in his elbow, even going as far as to throw off a mound in practice last month for the first time since his surgery, igniting rumors and hopes that he might be able to pitch in the playoffs.
Roberts put a stop to the rumors, however, telling reporters the day before Game 1 that there is “no possibility” of Ohtani pitching in the playoffs. “None whatsoever.”
Game 3 is scheduled for Monday at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York.
When questioned about how the Dodgers will handle Ohtani potentially missing games, Roberts quickly responded that he is “not there yet.”
“I’m expecting him to be there. I’m expecting him to be in the lineup,” Roberts said.
