Dude, it’s brutal. Shohei Ohtani is reportedly OUT of the lineup AGAIN today for the Los Angeles Dodgers when they face the Cincinnati Reds. And get this: it’s his sixth missed game in just seven outings. We’re talking about his knee, biceps, AND neck all barking at him. Seriously, all at once? That is NOT what you want to hear, especially for a guy like Ohtani, and it’s a huge shift from what the Dodgers were planning.
Ohtani’s Health: A Real Head-Scratcher
This latest benching is a total 180 from what was supposed to happen. The Dodgers had him scheduled to play today after taking Tuesday off, but now he’s sidelined again. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts kept it pretty straightforward on Tuesday, saying, “Talking to the training staff, it’s more of the thought of, ‘Let’s build him up slowly.’” ‘Slowly’ seems like the keyword here, because Ohtani hasn’t pitched for Los Angeles since way back on July 3. He was still crushing it as a designated hitter pretty consistently until these recent issues flared up. The only game he’s even been in the lineup since September 2 was Monday’s win against the Reds, where he went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. It’s a rough stretch, and you gotta wonder just how much those nagging knee, biceps, and neck issues are impacting his swing, even if he’s not pitching.
The MVP’s Missing Presence and the Chasing Game
Let’s be real, even when he isn’t pitching, a healthy Shohei Ohtani is still one of the best players in baseball, a four-time MVP who just lights up the scoreboard. He’s been largely excellent at the plate all season long, rocking a .277/.380/.522 slash line, not to mention smashing 30 home runs, driving in 80 RBI, and swiping 11 bases. Those are monster numbers! His overall presence is a massive reason the Dodgers are back-to-back World Series champions, and they are absolutely fixated on October. This latest round of caution around Ohtani makes all the sense in the world given what’s at stake. The Dodgers are currently 1.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for that coveted No. 1 seed in the National League, though they do have a bit of breathing room, sitting three games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for the No. 2 seed. Every game matters right now.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, they have actually been playing some great baseball even without Ohtani in the lineup. They roll into today’s game against the Reds on a hot six-game winning streak. Can they keep that momentum going and inch closer to the Brewers without their biggest slugger? With October looming, they’ve gotta figure out this Ohtani situation and fast. It’s gonna be a wild finish, that’s for sure.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
Leave a Reply