Ohtani to Play Through Injuries in NLDS vs. Braves — SkimNews
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- Ohtani said his left knee and right biceps ailments will linger into the postseason and that he will have to "manage" them, ahead of the Dodgers' NLDS against the Atlanta Braves beginning Saturday.
- Ohtani went on the injured list in early September after a 14-game stretch with 7 hits and 22 strikeouts; he didn't pitch after July 3 and was essentially ruled out of pitching by Labor Day.
- Despite being compromised for much of the past three months, Ohtani finished the regular season batting .275/.377/.512 with 30 home runs and 11 stolen bases, and went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 pitching starts.
- Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said "Shohei's not 100%, but he's going to be in the lineup," adding that Freddie Freeman and several other Dodgers are also not fully healthy.
- In his last five regular-season games after returning from the IL, Ohtani went 5-for-21 with 8 strikeouts, though hitting coach Aaron Bates praised his recent batting practice, saying it was "as good as we've seen it this year" and that Ohtani hit balls off the scoreboard.
- Ohtani is likely to finish second to Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong in NL MVP voting.
Why it matters: The Dodgers open the NLDS with their best player compromised on both sides of the ball: Ohtani won't pitch, and he's openly managing knee and biceps injuries while hitting. Roberts acknowledged multiple key players — including Freddie Freeman — are also not 100%, meaning Los Angeles is entering a short series without a fully healthy core.
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