After a gritty 4-2 victory against the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, where fans shelled out big bucks for premium seats, you’d expect the clubhouse to be buzzing with excitement. But the mood was a lot more somber as everyone turned their attention to superstar Shohei Ohtani. He left the game in the seventh inning with a left shoulder subluxation—a partial dislocation, as manager Dave Roberts put it.
Ohtani didn’t hang around for updates, leaving the stadium almost immediately after the game. The team announced he’d be getting an MRI on Sunday before heading to New York. “We’ll get some tests tonight or tomorrow, and then we’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. “The strength looked good, and his range of motion seemed fine, so we’re hopeful. But I can’t really say much until we see the scans.”
Right now, the big question is whether Ohtani will miss any time in the World Series. When asked what the team would do without him, Roberts simply said, “We’re not there yet.”
“It’s definitely a huge bummer,” Dodgers utility player Tommy Edman admitted. “He’s the best player in the game, and seeing him on the ground in pain isn’t a good feeling. We’re all hoping for a quick recovery and sending him our thoughts and prayers.”
The trouble started when Ohtani walked against Yankees reliever Clay Holmes and tried to steal second. It looked like he overextended himself, reaching awkwardly with his left arm. Just before that, it appeared his arm got caught behind his body. This was only his second stolen-base attempt in the postseason, despite him swiping 59 bags during the regular season.
“He’s a smart baserunner,” Roberts noted. “With two outs, trying to add on in a World Series game was the right call. But sometimes, these things just happen.”
As soon as Gleyber Torres tagged him out at second, Ohtani seemed to know something was wrong. He immediately signaled for time and told the trainer he’d hurt his shoulder, but when asked if he dislocated it, he could only respond, “I don’t know” in Japanese.
“The scene was definitely concerning,” Roberts said. “Whenever a player goes down, it’s worrying. But after checking his range of motion and strength, I felt a bit better about it.”
While we won’t know the full extent of Ohtani’s injury for at least another 24 hours, losing him, even for a short time, would be a massive blow to the Dodgers’ offense. He’s a leading MVP candidate, making history as the first player to hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in a season. He also made waves in the postseason, hitting a three-run homer in his first playoff game against the Padres.
Before the injury, Ohtani was just 1-for-8 in the World Series but did score the game-tying run in Game 1. His presence in the lineup is something you just can’t overlook.
If he has to sit out, the Dodgers might shift Freddie Freeman to designated hitter, which could open up more playing time for Andy Pages—who crushed two homers in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against the Mets.
“We’ve dealt with injuries all year,” said Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández. “It’s not going to feel good if he can’t go, but if he’s out on Monday, we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing these past few weeks.”