Shohei Ohtani is back in the Dodgers lineup, and the version Los Angeles is getting comes with an asterisk.
Ohtani was activated off the 15-day injured list for Wednesday’s game against San Diego after a right biceps and left knee issue that worsened through August finally forced him down. He had not played since September 7.
He Is a Designated Hitter and Nothing Else
The pitching is off the table. Ohtani’s mound ramp-up in August is exactly what coincided with the flare-up, and the Dodgers are not going anywhere near that again with October a week out.
So the two-way weapon is a one-way weapon for the postseason. Los Angeles will take it, because the bat alone still changes how opposing managers build a bullpen plan.
Dave Roberts Moved Him Out of the Leadoff Spot
Ohtani is hitting second now, with Mookie Betts leading off. Roberts explained the thinking plainly: “I like that. And vs. a right-hander, I like kind of flipping [Betts and Ohtani] for the same reasons.”
The move makes sense on two levels. It guarantees Ohtani comes up with a runner on base more often, and it shaves a few plate appearances off a body that just spent 15 days recovering.
The Stats Tell Two Different Stories
On the season, Ohtani has posted a .902 OPS with 30 home runs. That is an All-Star line by any measure.
Look at the 24 games right before the IL stint and the picture changes: .198 with 34 strikeouts. He was playing hurt and it showed in every at-bat.
Andrew Friedman struck an encouraging note on the recovery. “The fact that he feels as good as he does right now is certainly encouraging,” the Dodgers president said.
Los Angeles Barely Noticed He Was Gone
Here is the uncomfortable truth for anyone arguing Ohtani is the load-bearing wall of this roster: the Dodgers lost three games total during his 17-game absence across 18 contests.
They clinched the NL West at 97-61 without him. That is a roster deep enough to survive losing the best player in baseball for two and a half weeks, which is precisely why they are a problem in October.
What Actually Matters Now
The question is not whether Ohtani plays. It is whether the two weeks off fixed the swing or merely rested the body.
A healthy Ohtani hitting second in front of a stacked Dodgers order is the single scariest at-bat in the National League bracket. A hobbled Ohtani grinding through October at .198 is a lineup hole in the exact spot where you cannot afford one.
Los Angeles has roughly a week of regular season games to find out. They will get their answer well before the Division Series starts, and the rest of the National League is watching just as closely.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.