Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani suffered a shoulder injury before the Dodgers’ 4-2 win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series Saturday.
The Japanese slugger sustained a left shoulder subluxation and will undergo more 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 occurs 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 and eventually walked off the field with trainers holding his left arm.
Shohei Ohtani leaves the field with a trainer after attempting to steal 2B in the 7th inning. pic.twitter.com/r19pZEurj1
— MLB (@MLB) October 27, 2024
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 picked up a conversation between Ohtani and trainers saying that his left shoulder appears to have popped out of its socket.
This weekend’s playoffs mark Ohtani’s first appearance in the postseason after he missed out in each of his six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels.
Shohei Ohtani is in pain after being caught trying to steal 2nd pic.twitter.com/29pdcdU4HE
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) October 27, 2024
The star player is riding on a series of remarkable accomplishments in recent months, including hitting his 50th homer of the season and stealing his 50th base in the Dodgers’ victory over the Miami Marlins last Thursday. Ohtani went on to rack up his 51st of each stat by the end of the contest.
Ohtani walks off the field alongside a trainer. Alex Slitz/Getty Images
Though Ohtani has had an exceptional debut season with the Dodgers, the 30-year-old player has grappled with physical setbacks.
Ohtani underwent elbow surgery in September 2023 – a year to the day before he opened the 50-50 club – and was advised that he likely wouldn’t be able to pitch until 2025; on paper, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the transcendent two-way star.
Even after taking a seat 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 diligently to rehabilitate his elbow, even going as far as to throw off a mound in practice last month for the first time since his surgery, sparking rumors and hopes that he might be able to pitch in the playoffs.
Roberts shut down the rumors, however, telling reporters on the eve of 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 asked 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.
