LOS ANGELES — Actually, it's too early to panic, too early to form an opinion. If the Los Angeles Dodgers' initial diagnosis regarding Shohei Ohtani proves correct, he could possibly be within the lineup for Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium on Monday night.
Still, the injury Ohtani sustained to his left shoulder Saturday night forged a shadow over Dodger Stadium, quieting the raucous crowd and creating an unease that plagued a team that had led to zero within the series' two games. rarely experienced.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani was affected by a subluxation, a condition that happens when the ball at the highest of the humerus only partially comes out of the socket, as opposed to finish dislocation, which is the case with a dislocation is.
If that's all, it shouldn't be an enormous deal, especially within the short term. Roberts said Ohtani's strength is great and his range of motion is nice. But he warned that the Dodgers wouldn't know more until Ohtani undergoes an MRI. Experienced fans understand that the diagnosis only matters once the doctors review the scans. And given the Dodgers' injury history, nobody should expect Ohtani to take the lead on Monday night at Yankee Stadium.
Ohtani's absence for even one game would weaken a series built on stars, from likely MVPs Ohtani and Aaron Judge to superstar right fielders Mookie Betts and Juan Soto to a different likely Hall of Famer, Freddie Freeman, and a prospect, Giancarlo Stanton. The series also features the 2 highest-paid pitchers overall: Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Gerrit Cole. Yamamoto, who made his World Series debut Saturday night, allowed only one hit, a house run off Soto, in 6 1/3 innings.
The focus, nevertheless, is Ohtani. He suffered his injury Saturday night, sliding into second base on an attempted steal within the seventh inning with the Dodgers leading 4-1. He was clearly in pain, rolled around on the dirt after which slowly stood up before an athletic trainer helped him off the sphere, supporting his left arm.
Ohtani is slow to return back after attempting to grab second place. pic.twitter.com/T3Af5GRaiw
– FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2024
For a recent comparison, consider Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, who has reportedly suffered no less than 4 subluxations in 2021. Tatis initially didn’t undergo surgery because he believed his shoulder was stable. But in September 2022, he modified course and served an 80-game suspension for using a banned performance-enhancing substance. Doctors the labrum repaired in his left shoulder. Tatis recovered until his reinstatement in April 2023. He played 141 games that season.
Could Ohtani eventually suffer the identical fate? Maybe if he endures repeated subluxations. Treatment for shoulder instability includes each non-surgical and surgical options. in keeping with Johns Hopkins Medicine. Ohtani, in fact, remains to be recovering from major right elbow surgery and expects to be pitching again in 2025. But even after stealing 59 bases as a full-time designated hitter this season, he’ll almost definitely limit his attempts once he returns to the mound, thereby reducing the wear and tear and tear on his body.
If Ohtani misses time through the series, the Dodgers can adjust by moving Betts to the leadoff spot and making Freeman their DH. Max Muncy could move from third base to first base and Kiké Hernández could play third base. Roberts could round out his infield with a mixture of Gavin Lux, Tommy Edman and Miguel Rojas, with Andy Pages serving as center on days when Edman replaces Rojas on short notice.
Not a nasty player alternative, even when Freeman is twiddling with a severe right ankle sprain and Rojas needs sports hernia surgery this offseason. Ohtani was just 1 for 8 in the primary two games of the series, his only hit a double off Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle in Game 1. But obviously he's an integral a part of the Dodgers' offense.
After recording ten hits in 22 plate appearances within the Division Series, Ohtani broke out within the National League Championship Series with a .364 batting average and a 1.185 OPS. He was an absolute terror within the postseason as a runner in scoring position and went 15-for-22 in those situations.
With or without Ohtani, the Dodgers are in an awesome position. The only way they will lose the series is in the event that they lose 4 of the subsequent five games – not out of the query because the series moves to New York for Games 3, 4 and 5 (if obligatory), but not too likely either . The Yankees have their very own issues, most notably the performance of likely MVP Aaron Judge, who’s batting .150 within the postseason with a .605 OPS and 19 strikeouts in 50 plate appearances.
The Dodgers being the Dodgers, they might use any Ohtani absence as a rallying point. Betts missed nearly two months this season with a broken left hand. Freeman was away for 10 days while his son Max, 3, struggled with Guillain-Barre syndrome, and later missed time due to a broken finger and his ankle problems. And lest we forget, the Dodgers also placed 12 starters on the injured list.
No one should paint this team as an underdog, especially when their estimated $325 million payroll is correct behind the New York Mets. The Dodgers used their financial power to construct exceptional depth. So while their roster is somewhat depleted, it's strong enough that the club is just two wins away from its first World Series title since 2020 and its first full season since 1988.
Ohtani's continued presence would further increase the Dodgers' probabilities, and his return for Game 3 seemed entirely possible, no less than the way in which Roberts spoke. By now we've all learned that it's silly to underestimate Ohtani. Seriously, would it not surprise anyone if he got here back to hit the game-winning home run after which defied the Dodgers' insistence that he wouldn't pitch again this season by hitting the game-winning home run?
Okay, that's asking a bit much. Let's just hope Ohtani stars within the series again. Every time he misses, baseball's biggest spectacle in years is diminished. And as his injuries have shown up to now, day-after-day he's out is a worse day for the game.
image credit : www.nytimes.com