Shohei Ohtani is keeping the Los Angeles Dodgers up late at night. The best player in MLB is sidelined, with uncertainty surrounding his health, and the Dodgers can’t afford to be without their star at this stage of the season. Not only did manager Dave Roberts provide a concerning injury update on Ohtani, but a new report hints that the Boys in Blue may be in big trouble.
Ohtani hasn’t played since Sep. 2, as he deals with injuries on several fronts. Soon, the Dodgers will have to make a decision about placing the Japanese superstar on the injured list, but it isn’t that easy. Moreover, insider Jeff Passan dropped a deflating update on where Ohtani stands health-wise. Based on the report, the Dodgers will lose Ohtani as a pitching option for the remainder of the season.
“Don’t forget about [Ohtani’s] neck strain, either. Shohei Ohtani is all kinds of banged up right now,” Passan stated on SportsCenter. “The Dodgers need to figure out whether they are going to put him on the injured list.”
Why IL means more for Ohtani, Dodgers
As Passan commented, an IL designation for Ohtani would be different from one for most players around MLB. That’s because Ohtani is a two-way player, not a mere position player. That distinctive trait that Los Angeles has exploited with Ohtani would come at a cost.
Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts after striking out.
“Because if they do [place Ohtani on IL], because he is a two-way player that means he would have to go in for 15 days, rather than the 10 for a position player,” Passan explained. “At that point, you’re starting to push against the edge of the end of the regular season to get those at-bats and get him back in rhythm once he comes off the injured list.”
Dodgers need Ohtani in postseason
The Dodgers are first in the NL West with an 85-57 record and the third-best record across all of MLB. Barring an improbable disaster, their ticket to the postseason is punched. They could go the rest of the regular season without Ohtani and suffer no setbacks. However, they need to get Ohtani back in action and find his footing before the playoffs come around.
Indeed, Los Angeles is so stacked that one could make the case it’s a World Series favorite even without Ohtani, but having Ohtani healthy and—most importantly—firing on all cylinders just puts them on another level, one that no other team in the Show may be able to reach.
Dodgers must make IL decision
Thus, a decision about placing Ohtani on the injured list is crucial. The Dodgers could place Ohtani on the 15-day IL, making it retroactive to Sept. 3, meaning the pitcher-batter could return on Sept. 18, with nine games left on the regular-season schedule.
Whatever decision the team lands on, it must get moving and make it fast. The clock is ticking, the postseason is around the corner, and Ohtani needs as much rest and treatment as he can get.
