A heart-stopping moment occurred for Dodgers fans in the bottom of the seventh inning tonight when Shohei Ohtani attempted to steal second base. Ohtani was tagged out by Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres but appeared to suffer an injury on the play and was escorted off the field by a team trainer. After the game, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya) that Ohtani had suffered a “little” shoulder subluxation, or partial dislocation. The star will undergo additionally testing tomorrow, and though Roberts emphasized that he did not want to speculate on the severity of the injury until those tests were completed, he noted that they’re “encouraged” by initial tests and that he’s “expecting” Ohtani to be back in the lineup for Game 3 on Monday.
It’s a potentially devastating blow to the Dodgers as they look to capture their first full-season World Series championship since 1988. While Ohtani has been unable to pitch this year after undergoing elbow surgery last September, it’s impossible to call his first season with the club anything other than an absolute success. The 30-year-old superstar slashed an eye-popping .310/.390/.646 (181 wRC+) in 159 games for the Dodgers this year and became the first player in MLB history to steal at least 50 bases (59) and hit at least 50 home runs (54) in a single season. Ohtani’s dynamic play has also been a key factor in the club’s postseason run to this point, as he had slashed an impressive .277/.414/.489 with three home runs and ten RBI during the playoffs this year entering tonight’s game.
Whether the Dodgers will have that explosive offensive talent in the lineup for the remainder of the series remains to be seen. While the severity of Ohtani’s injury is not currently clear, an injury of any significance will leave he and the Dodgers forced to balance the star’s health with their goal of closing out a World Series championship they’re just two victories away from clinching. Other players on the Dodgers’ roster, including fellow star Freddie Freeman and veteran shortstop Miguel Rojas, have played through injuries this postseason in hopes of bringing a World Series home to Los Angeles. If the Dodgers take a similar course of action with Ohtani and his shoulder issue is fairly mild, it’s possible to imagine him being back in the club’s lineup when the series moves to New York for Game 3 on Monday night.
That’s far from a guarantee, however, and it’s equally easy to imagine the issue being severe enough to leave Ohtani at risk of missing the rest of the series. If the injury proves to be severe enough for the Dodgers to remove Ohtani from their playoff roster, outfielders Kevin Kiermaier and James Outman would appear to be the most likely options for the club to consider activating in place of their superstar on the playoff roster. Meanwhile, Ohtani vacating the DH spot in the lineup would allow the club to offer additional rest to Freeman, who has played through the postseason on a sprained ankle and could benefit from the additional time off his feet. In such a scenario, Max Muncy would likely slide over from third base to cover first for Freeman, opening up the hot corner for Enrique Hernandez and second base for Gavin Lux.
Of course, with just five months left to Opening Day 2025, a particularly severe injury could not only leave Ohtani unavailable for the remainder of the World Series but potentially impact his Spring Training and readiness for the start of next year. Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story underwent what was believed to be season-ending shoulder surgery back in April following an initial diagnosis similar to Ohtani’s after Story awkwardly landed on his shoulder during a play in the field. Surgery wound up being necessary due to structural damage in his shoulder and came with an initial six-month recovery timeline, though Story managed to return ahead of schedule in just five.
The Dodgers are quite familiar with the perils of dislocated shoulders, as during the 2020 NLCS Cody Bellinger suffered a dislocated right shoulder that he played through in their last World Series run but ultimately required surgery on. That procedure came with a recovery timeline of just ten weeks but Bellinger infamously struggled badly over his next two seasons with the Dodgers, leading to questions regarding whether or not he returned to action before he was fully healthy. However severe Ohtani’s injury turns out to be, one silver lining for the Dodgers is that Ohtani’s left shoulder is the one at issue, meaning his pitching arm is likely to be minimally impacted by the issue as he looks toward a return to the mound in 2025.
Astros_fan_in_Aus
I hope he recovers well and sees the Dodgers win the next two games. All supporters of other teams who hate the Yankees are rooting for you.
fox471 Dave
Thank you!
mad1
Speaking from a fan of neither of these teams I hate the dodgers and yanks equally. It’s unfortunate that of them will win it all
OhioDodger
Phu Q
cr4
Seriously funny how I’ve hated on the dodgers all season but the second they face the Yankees I’ve cheered for them like I’ve been a fan for 20 years
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
I hate the dodgers as much as the Yankees
I want the yanks to force game 7 so that shohei or judge could hit a walk off bomb to win the WS
johnsilver
Hope it’s a shorter period than the dislocation Story had. he was out from like the 3rd week of the season until September. LA really needs Ohtani, not to mention the game itself does.
bucsfan0004
I understand he was in discomfort. But couldnt he have just walked off the field and got checked out in the trainer’s room? He doesnt play the field or anything and its not like he had a lower body injury preventing him from walking. I don’t understand the need to call time out and then act like a soccer player…. oh wait, he’s watches a lot of soccer as i recall
Yankee Clipper
They had to give John Smoltz time to collect himself. He was whimpering at the prospect of Ohtani not participating in game 3.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
My favorite John smoltz quote during a broadcast:
“He’s good at what he’s good at” very inspiring and intellectual
I actually thought he was better with Joe buck since buck could do more talking but now John is kind of forced to ramble on about random things
BlueSkies_LA
He isn’t forced to ramble, he just does.
Dumpster Divin Theo
He’s old and angry and pointless mainly. And usually wrong. Tim McCarver!
Informed Sportsball Discussion
Ken Rosenthal saw Manny Machado separate Ohtani’s shoulder. True story.
Yankee Clipper
I don’t think I’d even risk putting Ohtani back in unless absolutely necessary. They haven’t needed him to beat the Yankees thus far, and it’s likely they won’t need him hereafter to win it all.
Good game for the Dodgers. They are hitting when it counts and capitalizing on poor pitches. It’s brutal for us to watch our team flailing, like a two-year-old trying to swim. Judge needs to figure out how to hit again.
Perksy
For sure. I was going through that 9th inning again and if Judge just walked it would have changed the whole complexion of the inning. Being the first 4 out of 5 batters got on
Yankee Clipper
Exactly right. And although Volpe is still young, his ABs have been terrible.
AngelsFan1968
That was a not a good at bat in the 9th.
mlarr64
Well there ya go. Had he stayed with the Angels he would have never got hurt
Dumpster Divin Theo
Yeah cuz you know, no October baseball in Goofyland
FOmeOLS
Come back! Yankee haters everywhere need you!
Luis_Fazenda
He’s managed a lone hit in the series, and obviously doesn’t contribute defensively. Put Pages in at DH and they’ll be fine. It isn’t Ohtani that’s beating the Yanks.
Blackpink in the area
It’s been 2 freaking games. And that one hit was huge. The Dodgers are a better team with Ohtani.
Luis_Fazenda
I’m not denying that they are a better team with him in the lineup. But this “oh no, what will we do now” garbage that I’m reading on some Dodgers forums, is ridiculous. They don’t need him in order to close this out.
Blackpink in the area
Well sure i mean they just won the first 2 games at this point they can do it without him. But if he doesn’t play and they end up losing the series you could look back and say this was huge.
Stan Not the Man
He ain’t comin’ back in this series.
MLB-1971
Trevor Story had the same injury and missed 4 1/2 months.
TAKERDBACKS
Hate both teams but dodgers don’t deserve Ohtani out and it would be awful to see. Such a great player. This is the dodgers chance.
Salad Daze 22-27
I suppose the dbacks DO deserve Ohtani? LOL
Old York
Big loss of viewership from Japan. Thoughts and prayers to MLB.
Rays in the Bay
They still have Yamamoto so only a small hit. I’m sure news will cover the Dodgers every night even if he is just sitting on the bench
GO1962
I wonder is this injury will delay or prevent Ohtani from being ready to pitch in Spring Training?
MLB Top 100 Commenter
His left hand hit the ground and he pitches right-handed. So, when he is ready to hit, he is also probably ready to pitch.
MLB-1971
It will at least delay his spring training if it is truly a shoulder subluxation. It may keep him at DH longer and delay his pitching debut.
Ignorant Son-of-a-b
The level of talent is just higher right now in the National League. Compare who the Yankees had to face in the postseason to get here to who the Dodgers had to face. Really no comparison who is more battle tested. Whoever the American League put forward to the World Series was going to get smoked. The American League really was the Junior League this season.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
While your word choice is a little bit inflammatory, I do agree with your conclusion. The Diamondbacks might have run the table in the AL.
ChipperChop
I was thinking the exact same thing while watching tonight. It’s a miss match. I don’t think the Yankees could beat any of the playoff teams from the NL in a 7 game series. Theyve been a 2 man show all year and unfortunately for them their playoff 2 man show is Soto and Stanton.
Rays in the Bay
Yup. The California teams just also collect all the Asian talent and have the money to throw at them. The balance is just awful. I expect a new Superteam will be made next year. Either by the Yankees or Mets or Cubs. Maybe Padres or Giants too. Other mid/small market teams will cut down on roster salaries and the richer teams can pick them up. And now they know they can defer payments to circulate the salary cap, so I expect a few copycats may pop up and put the league out of whack. But in also a depressed Rays fan who will have to see anyone making more than 3 million be cut or traded to the Dodgers
Citizen1
In the olde days, they’d just pop the shoulder back in by pulling on the arm. Not sure which is more embarrassing- Ohtani attempting a steal when his team is up, and not a very good ove-glove slide either or Soto bobbling the ball in the field.
Fred McGriff HR
Boone messed up game 1, why you don’t pitch Hill there is very strange to say the least, and I still don’t understand why, especially the fact that Hill has been having a pretty good post season, you want the guy with the ‘unusual’ arm slot as opposed to a guy that has a more orthodox delivery and had not thrown for a month. What else is the guy that hasn’t thrown for a month going to throw, a fat fastball to try and get ahead in the count, and Mr Freeman said thank you very much. Soto not hitting the cut off with his throw into 2nd was also poor sloppy play by the Yankees.
The Dodgers are just a deeper lineup 1-9, and the Dodgers bullpen is slightly better also.
Schmidt has a big job to do if the Yanks are to be competitive in this World Series.
Rays in the Bay
Oh no. How will MLB and their partners ever cope if Ohtani misses time? Are we gonna get pics every 10 minutes on social media updating us of his breakfast… Maybe his chuckle at a good online joke.
Too bad for him but the Ohtani fatigue for me is real.
JayRyder
Sweep.
aragon
Can he still bet on the Dodgers with his injured arm?
PeteRose’s Bookie
Sir this is a Denny’s
Dumpster Divin Theo
No it’s a Wendy’s drive thru
Mickey Solis
All part of the script to make this scumbag team look “heroic” for “overcoming” the “odds” despite buying their entire roster and heaven forbid their $700M ringer who wanted to play for his d*ddies might miss a few games so this desperate pathetic team can win its first legitimate title in 36. It’s LA and so the Dodgers can find the best doctor money can buy who can pump Ohtani full of drugs so he makes the clown fans happy by playing in Game 3 and beyond.
Salad Daze 22-27
Can always bet on a fool to tell an unfunny and unoriginal and not to mention untrue joke. Congrats, Are you ignorant by choice or just plain dumb?
Eric Henderson
Dodgers fans are happy because now they can show that they can win the World Series without him (and he was 1 for 9 to go along with a failed SB attempt).
Dumpster Divin Theo
What if Ohtani gets rested, as the Dodgers should do, the Yanks tie it up at 3-3, and then Ohtani comes in as a PH in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7 to hit a walk off a la Kirk Gibson? How cool would that be? With a Vin Scully redux type call by his successor? Make it so
RSimpson
MLBTR, are you just messing with us- waiting until the last sentence to tell us which shoulder was injured? Kind of a significant “detail”!