Shohei Ohtani didn’t look right when striking out in the 10th inning of the Dodgers’ 8-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday.
Ohtani, who hasn’t pitched since July 3 due to lingering knee and biceps issues, winced in pain throughout his eight-pitch at-bat against reliever Riley O’Brien, seeming to strain himself with every muscle flex, let alone big-league hacks.
“I saw the same thing that everyone saw,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I’m going to talk to [Ohtani] tomorrow and really try to figure out … where he’s at physically. Because, yeah, I saw the shaking of the arm, I saw the wincing, and clearly, the swings aren’t who he is.
“Obviously, there’s some compensation. So, I’m going to talk to him, and then I’ll make a decision tomorrow about his availability.”
Roberts isn’t sure if Ohtani, who went 0-for-4 on Wednesday with four strikeouts and a walk, will need to go on the injured list.
“It won’t be an IL, unless it is,” Roberts said. “But it’s very unlikely.”
Ohtani is the type of player who will suit up as long as he has a leg to stand on. He’s on pace to appear in 158 games for the third consecutive season.
“I think that tonight was kind of the tip of the iceberg,” Roberts said. “But I’ve seen it over the last couple of weeks, where he hasn’t been who he is.”
Read more: Plaschke: No two ways about it — Shohei Ohtani should not pitch again this season
With a month to go before October, when the Dodgers’ pursuit of a third consecutive World Series title truly starts, Roberts understands that Ohtani’s situation must be addressed now.
“I know he feels that he needs to post and be in the lineup, and if he’s upright, he should play; I respect that,” Roberts said. “But if he’s feeling the way that it visibly looks, then [that’s] really not helping anyone. So, that’s the conversation that I’ll have with [the training staff].”
The Dodgers, who were 1-for-18 with runners in scoring position against the Cardinals Wednesday, could’ve used a big hit from their future Hall of Famer. They probably could’ve used his pitching, too.
Instead, the Dodgers are waiting to see if Ohtani will — or should — even be available for the foreseeable future.
“I do think that he is a very finely tuned athlete,” Roberts said. “So when he’s not kind of all synced up, and the parts aren’t working the way that he’s used to them working, things are compromised. And so clearly tonight, you can see the swing wasn’t the swing that we’re used to seeing. So he’s not close to optimal tonight.
“What is going to get him close to being able to perform at the level that you know he expects? That’s kind of the question. And time off obviously seems logical, so I’m not blind to that.”
Ohtani’s uncertain status comes at a tricky time for the Dodgers.
The two-time defending champions haven’t looked the part for much of the summer. Wednesday’s ugly loss, in which Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the Dodgers crumbled late despite taking a 3-0 first-inning lead, was the latest example.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto walks back to the mound after giving up a home run to Thomas Saggese in the sixth inning Wednesday. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
“As a team, yes, there might be some stuff we need to do better [and] work on some stuff,” said Yamamoto, who had a no-hitter through five before surrendering a pair of two-run homers over his final two innings. “But because we have great players and experienced players, I think we will be able to get over this hump.”
Yamamoto isn’t alone in staying calm.
“We’ve been through everything,” Freddie Freeman, who ended his career-high 47-game home run drought with a three-run blast in the first, said. “We’ve seen everything. [We’ve] had our backs against the wall and had to win games when we really needed to … I think good things are ahead.”
Good things very well could be ahead for the Dodgers, who are 82-57 and in first place by nine games in the NL West. They’ve earned the right not to panic; that’s for sure.
But the equation could change drastically based on Ohtani’s status down the stretch.
CT3 comes home
Chris Taylor, his wife, Mary, and son Theo watch a video tribute to his career before the start of Wednesday’s game. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times)
The Dodgers welcomed back former longtime utility player Chris Taylor to Dodger Stadium and presented him with a video tribute and his third World Series ring.
“It’s pretty much what I identify my career as — over 90% of my entire career was in Dodger blue,” Taylor said. “This is the place I call home. Always proud to be a Dodger, and it means a lot to me that they would do this for me. So, I’m extremely humbled.”
Taylor, a 12-year veteran who retired this season, said Wednesday night was the first time he was able to watch a game with his family.
Injury updates
Catcher Will Smith was given a breather after going one for five with two RBIs in his first game back from a three-month stint on the injured list on Tuesday.
“It was good to see him get a knock,” Roberts said. “I thought he swung the bat pretty well. So, it’s a premeditated day off today. He’ll be back in there tomorrow, but I guess no news is good news.”
It wasn’t a full day off, as Smith pinch-hit for Hunter Feduccia in the ninth and scored the Dodgers’ run in the 10th.
Right-hander Roki Sasaki’s blister is healing while he’s on the IL, so he shouldn’t miss additional time.
“I saw him yesterday at the end of the bench; it’s healing well,” Roberts said. “He’s still moving his arm, playing catch. So I think it’s going to be a shorter term getting him back.”
Roberts doesn’t yet know whether Sasaki will take a spot in rotation upon his return.
Another right-hander, Gavin Stone, who hasn’t pitched since August 2024 potentially could pitch this month, Roberts said. Stone recently made his fourth rehab start.
“Gavin’s been good,” Roberts said. “I think right now — and again, this is not talking to the guys in the, you know, player development — but it’s more of just getting him to stay upright, stay healthy, is the win for 2026.”
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Read the full article here