Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has missed six of the past seven games with discomfort in his right arm. As a result, the Dodgers have decided to put him on the injured list.
Following the team’s 14-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani would be headed to the injured list and the team would be calling up top outfield prospect Josue De Paula from Double-A to temporarily take his place at designated hitter.
Ohtani Headed to Injured List
Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 as a result of soreness in his left knee, which returned when he tried to throw his most recent bullpen session on Aug. 28. On Monday, Ohtani acknowledged that he will “most likely” not pitch again this season. However, he hasn’t exactly been healthy on the offensive side of the game, either.
The injury concerns began last Wednesday, when Ohtani shook his right arm as he walked into the dugout after a 10th-inning strikeout. After the injury, Ohtani was not in the lineup the following day, and he then missed games on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday too.
Ohtani returned to the lineup on Monday, where he went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts, but he was out of the lineup again on Tuesday. Roberts said Ohtani complained of pain in his right arm during one of his swings on Monday, prompting the team to think more seriously about placing him on the IL.
After Wednesday’s game, Roberts officially announced the move.
‘The right thing to do’
Roberts told reporters that putting Ohtani on the IL was “the right thing to do,” adding, “We tried to kick the can as much as we could.”
That said, Roberts said that he was “very” confident that Ohtani would be ready to return to the team by the time the postseason begins.
“If it were a postseason game tomorrow, he would be in the lineup,” Roberts said via ESPN. “Now you’re talking about two weeks, 14 days. I feel that it’s that substantial. He’ll be in a much better place than he was today. Is it gonna be 100%? Probably not. But I do think, with this time that we’re taking now, he’ll be in an adequate spot to finish the season and beyond.”
The soonest that Ohtani will be eligible to return from the 15-day IL is Sept. 23.
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