Alden Gonzalez
Multiple Authors
LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani was out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup as soon as again on Friday, marking the primary time all yr he has been absent for back-to-back video games.
Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts mentioned Ohtani, who expressed soreness in his neck and alongside his proper arm late in Wednesday’s sport, continues to be day-to-day, although he softened his stance about him probably having to go on the injured listing.
“Hopeful,” Roberts mentioned when requested about Ohtani not occurring the IL, “but I wouldn’t say confident. Hopeful. We’ll see.”
If Ohtani continues to be feeling discomfort over the weekend, the Dodgers may need no alternative however to quickly shut him down, one thing they’ve averted as he battled small illnesses all through the season.
Ohtani has not thrown a baseball since his abbreviated bullpen session final Friday, when he continued to expertise ache in his left knee and proper bicep. In earlier occasions when he wasn’t throwing, Ohtani nonetheless discovered methods to maintain his arm lively by doing drills with weighted balls. But Roberts mentioned Ohtani hasn’t labored with these for “a few days.”
Asked what meaning for his pitching development, Roberts mentioned: “Certainly pushes it back.”
Ohtani has not pitched in a sport since July 3 and has slumped offensively in latest weeks, with seven hits and 20 strikeouts over his final 51 at-bats. His total numbers — a .906 OPS with 30 dwelling runs offensively, an 8-2 document with a 1.79 ERA on the mound — are nonetheless ok to contend for an MVP.
But the Dodgers are rising involved that Ohtani may be sporting down on the worst potential time, with three and a half weeks remaining till the beginning of the playoffs. Roberts mentioned Ohtani has been “very agreeable” concerning the resolution to sit down out these final two video games, however he hasn’t essentially acknowledged that the bodily illnesses which have prevented him from pitching are additionally affecting his offense.
To Roberts, he would not must.
“What we saw a couple nights ago wasn’t him,” Roberts mentioned of Ohtani. “So, clearly he was not feeling well.”