The Los Angeles Dodgers just dropped the biggest news ahead of the NLDS this Saturday, confirming reigning MVP Shohei Ohtani made a late return from the injured list and is ready to roll. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes was on a zoom call saying, “Swing is in a good place, feeling good heading into this series is important,” adding Ohtani is “in a great spot.” That’s huge if you’re chasing a historic three-peat, but let’s be real, it hasn’t been a smooth ride for the superstar.
Ohtani’s Rocky Road to the Postseason
Ohtani landed on the injured list back on September 11, a pretty late-season scare for any team, but he managed to get back on the field before the regular season wrapped up. The GM sounds confident, and that’s what you want to hear from the guy leading the charge. But let’s not forget the dude has been battling it out with multiple injuries all season long. His knee took him off the mound back in July, and then the Dodgers officially listed his right biceps as the reason for that recent IL stint. So while he’s “feeling good” now, this isn’t a guy who’s been cruising through the entire year without a bump or bruise. It makes you wonder how much those injuries *really* impacted his game.
Numbers Don’t Lie: What Ohtani’s Season Actually Looked Like
Now, nobody’s denying Ohtani is a beast, especially in the postseason. Through his two previous playoff runs with the Dodgers, he’s crushed it in 33 games, hammering 11 home runs, driving in 24 runs, and posting a ridiculous .940 OPS. In 2025, he was an absolute menace with a 1.096 OPS, hitting eight homers and tallying 14 RBIs, even snagging the NLCS MVP award. That’s clutch.
This season, though? His regular season results aren’t quite at that same insane level as last year’s postseason lead-up. He still put up a solid .889 OPS with 30 homers and 81 RBIs, and managed a 3.2 bWAR as a hitter, even making the All-Star team as the NL’s top vote getter. That’s a great season for most guys, but for the reigning MVP playing through a knee issue and a biceps injury? It makes you wonder if “solid” is enough when you’re gunning for a three-peat.
The Road Ahead: Braves, Phillies, and Past Heartbreak
The Dodgers’ opponent for the NLDS is still up in the air, but it’s going to be either the Philadelphia Phillies or the Atlanta Braves. Those two are duking it out in the Wild Card Series, and Atlanta already took Game 1 thanks to Austin Riley’s late, go-ahead home run in the eighth inning on Tuesday. That’s a tough matchup no matter who comes out on top.
Why tough? Because the Dodgers went a dismal 1-5 against the Braves in the regular season. And remember 2021? They lost their last postseason matchup against the Braves too. So, whether it’s the Braves or the Phillies, the Dodgers are going to need Ohtani, and the rest of the squad, playing at their absolute peak to make this historic three-peat happen. It all kicks off Saturday, and every swing, every pitch, is going to mean everything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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