LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Dodgers have a 2-0 lead against the New York Yankees in the World Series as they head back to New York, but the current atmosphere doesn’t reflect this advantage.
The 4-2 victory in Game 2 on Saturday night was overshadowed by the sight of Shohei Ohtani on the ground in discomfort at second base while attempting to steal during the seventh inning. Ohtani eventually left the field favoring his left shoulder.
The atmosphere in the Dodger dugout immediately shifted.
“Not only in the dugout, but the entire stadium fell silent,” remarked Teoscar Hernandez, who secured a home run in the third inning preceding Freddie Freeman, helping the Dodgers secure enough runs to win the game. “Considering the significant role Shohei has played for us. Hopefully, he will recover soon.”
Ohtani suffered a shoulder subluxation, clarified manager Dave Roberts, implying a partial dislocation of the joint.
Roberts mentioned that Ohtani will undergo an MRI on Sunday during the off day before Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Monday night. There are uncertainties regarding his availability for the upcoming game and the remainder of the series.
“We’ll have more clarity in the next couple of days,” expressed Roberts. “However, his strength looked good, and his range of motion was satisfactory. We are optimistic. I refrain from making assumptions until we review the scans. Once we have them, we will have a better understanding. But I am interpreting this as a positive sign.”
The Dodgers promptly flew to New York after the match. Ohtani did not provide any comments.
Ohtani is one of the two Japanese free agents that the Dodgers acquired during the offseason, with a combined deal value of $1.025 billion. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with $680 million deferred. Having spent his initial six seasons in the U.S. with the Los Angeles Angels, the other player, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, joined directly from Japan under a 12-year, $325 million agreement.
Both players played crucial roles on Saturday night. Yamamoto pitched into the seventh inning, limiting the Yankees to one run from a single hit, a Juan Soto home run in the third inning. He consecutively retired the final 11 batters faced until Roberts substituted him with one out in the top of the seventh after Giancarlo Stanton’s popout to second base.
This marked his lengthiest outing since pitching seven innings on June 7 in a 3-1 triumph over the Yankees in New York. Following his subsequent start against Kansas City, he experienced discomfort in his right shoulder and only returned on Sept. 10. The Dodgers have since worked on rehabilitating him.
“He hasn’t been this effective since the initial Yankee game,” acknowledged Roberts. “I see this as a positive development game. With 87 pitches thrown, we laid a solid foundation. I was eager for him to face Stanton, manage another batter, and reach the seventh inning.”
Entering the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers were leading 4-1. Yankees reliever Clay Holmes struck out Miguel Rojas, followed by a walk to Ohtani, who surprisingly attempted to steal second base on the first pitch to Mookie Betts.
Ohtani, the first 50/50 player in MLB history during the regular season with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, hadn’t stolen any bases during the postseason. His awkward slide and attempt to stabilize himself by forcefully placing his left wrist on the turf precipitated the dislocation of his shoulder.
When asked about the ill-fated steal attempt, Roberts mentioned that Ohtani typically has the freedom to decide on stealing bases by his own judgment.
“He’s a smart baserunner,” said Roberts. “He was striving to add another run in a crucial World Series game. It was the correct decision, but unforeseen incidents occur in baseball.”
Ohtani has faced various injuries throughout his career in Japan and in MLB, including ankle issues, knee surgery, and two Tommy John surgeries on his right elbow to repair the ulnar ligament. He underwent the second surgery in the previous offseason and spent all season rehabbing his pitching arm in preparation for returning to the mound next spring.
Despite the Dodgers experiencing multiple injuries to key players throughout the season, Ohtani, in the role of designated hitter, had remained unscathed. However, this has changed now. He appeared in a personal-record 159 regular-season games and participated in all 13 playoff games thus far.
When asked if Roberts was ready to proceed with the remainder of the World Series without Ohtani, considering the impact on MLB’s international audience and LA’s chances of winning the Fall Classic for the first time after a complete regular season since 1988, Roberts remained noncommittal.
“I am not contemplating that scenario yet,” Roberts stated. “I anticipate his presence. I am counting on him being in the lineup.”
Image Source: Shohei Ohtani @ Instagram
