Ohtani Activated Wednesday, 'Considerably' Healthier — SkimNews
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- Shohei Ohtani is expected back in the Dodgers' lineup on the first day he is eligible off the IL; manager Dave Roberts rated his health an 8 or 9 on a 1-to-10 scale, up from 5 two weeks ago
- Ohtani landed on the IL Sept. 8 with lingering pain in his right biceps and left knee, and has since progressed to as many as 40 swings off the Trajekt pitching simulator plus base-running
- Roki Sasaki was activated off the IL Tuesday after recovering from a blister suffered Aug. 26, and was available out of the bullpen for the series opener against the Padres with a potential late-inning postseason role
- Andy Pages returned from a fractured left hand (Aug. 22) and is expected to resume his role as the Dodgers' everyday center fielder
- Mookie Betts' September surge — .373/.468/.746 entering this week — has Roberts weighing whether to bat him leadoff against left-handed pitchers, potentially bumping Ohtani from the top spot against LHP
- Ohtani, 32, will only DH the rest of the season and was batting just 7-for-54 with 22 strikeouts before landing on the IL; Roberts said the plan is for him to play in all five remaining regular-season games
- Josue De Paula and Dalton Rushing are the candidates for the corresponding roster move; De Paula went 8-for-38 with 10 walks filling in at DH, while Rushing is hampered by an elbow issue limiting his throwing
Why it matters: The Dodgers are getting three significant pieces back in the final week of the regular season, but Ohtani's pre-injury slump — 7 hits in 54 at-bats — leaves real uncertainty about how much he'll actually contribute at the plate in October, making Roberts' leadoff-vs-LHP decision a tangible rather than theoretical choice.
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