Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is expected to play in the next World Series game on Monday night after injuring his shoulder on a slide trying to gain a base against the New York Yankees over the weekend.
Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts told ESPN on Sunday that Ohtani was in good shape and “will be playing in game 3 tomorrow,” according to reporter Karl Ravech. The Japanese two-way player gave fans a fright when he tried to steal second base at the in the bottom of the seventh and slid hard onto the ground.
Ohtani didn’t make the steal and laid on his stomach raising one of his hands to call for help after the play. He stayed down until the Los Angeles training staff came out to help him off the field.
The Dodgers ultimately won the game, leading the World Series 2-0, but Ohtani’s future in the post-season championship was uncertain Saturday night. Roberts told reporters that Ohtani had a “little left shoulder subluxation” after the game.
“We’re going to get some tests at some point tonight or tomorrow and we’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said at the time. “But the strength was great, the range of motion good, so we’re encouraged.”
It appears that the tests corroborated that assessment and Ohtani will take the plate in the Bronx on Monday night, likely to the dismay of many Yankees fans. While the Dodgers certainly have a stacked batting lineup, it’s no secret that Ohtani is one of the baseball players of all time.
The National League’s MVP favorite, Ohtani hit .310 with 54 home runs, had 130 RBIs and stole 59 bases this year. He is the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in one season.
Baseball fans were eager to see him face-off against Yankees’ right fielder Aaron Judge in the World Series, but Judge has been in a tough a post-season slump. The Yankees captain is considered one of the greatest home-run hitters in the MLB but has not made significant headway against the Dodgers so far.
Standing at 6-foot-7 at the plate, Judge hit homers in five-consecutive games this September to earn a total of 58 homers in the regular season. He’s one of few sluggers who have managed to get at least 58 home-run hits in multiple seasons, joining the ranks of legends like the late Babe Ruth.
