The Los Angeles Dodgers locked up their postseason berth, an MLB record-tying 14th consecutive season in the dance! They punched their ticket Monday with a 4-1 win over Cincinnati, celebrating with a muted toast in the visiting clubhouse at Great American Ball Park. Tarik Skubal, who threw seven shutout innings that night, captured the vibe perfectly, saying, “It’s different than anything I’ve experienced, for sure. But I think it just speaks to the people in this room and what they expect out of this team. That was cool. A little toast and move on. Forget it happened. We’ve got more to accomplish this season.” Sure, they could clinch the NL West as soon as Wednesday, and yeah, they are the favorite to become baseball’s first back-to-back-to-back champion since the legendary 1998-2000 New York Yankees. But hold up, don’t hand them that ring yet! This “threepeat” thing is no done deal, and honestly, this year’s squad looks way more vulnerable than people realize. They were inches, literally inches, from losing it all last year.
Ohtani’s Rough Patch Has Everyone Watching
A huge reason for that vulnerability? Shohei Ohtani, the two-way phenom, is clearly compromised. The guy hasn’t pitched since June 3, and get this, he won’t pitch again this year. It’s not one thing, it’s a trifecta of knee, biceps, and neck issues. And those nagging problems have started bleeding into his hitting, so much so that he just hit the injured list. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts put it bluntly: “I think he realizes it’s the best thing for him. To give him the best chance to be the player he wants to be, we want him to be, in October.” Ouch.
Numbers Don’t Lie: Ohtani Is Hurting
Before hitting the IL, Ohtani was struggling hard at the plate, going a brutal 7 for 54, a pathetic .130 batting average, with 22 strikeouts in just 14 games. If you watched him, you saw it. He was grimacing and flexing out his right arm after swings, a clear sign he was in pain. Because he’s a two-way player, he went on the 15-day pitcher IL instead of the position player’s 10-day, which tells you just how serious those arm issues are. He’s eligible to return on Wednesday, September 23, leaving five regular season games. The Dodgers are in a good spot for a top-two seed and a Wild Card Series bye, which means that five-day break could be massive for Ohtani to rest, heal, and try to find his swing in a controlled environment. But can he really turn it around that fast? We’ll see.
The Dodgers are gunning for that NL West title this week, but all eyes are really on Ohtani’s health and his hitting form when he returns. That guy’s performance could be the difference between making history and watching another team hoist the trophy. This postseason is gonna be wild!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
Leave a Reply