Steve Webb
BRONX, NY — During a press conference following the Dodgers’ Game 2 victory over the Yankees in the World Series, manager Dave Roberts addressed Shohei Ohtani’s shoulder injury, which he sustained in the game. Roberts provided an update on Ohtani’s condition, stating, “As far as test results, we got doctors scrambling everywhere. I don’t have them. This is more me going by the training staff.” He added that Ohtani was “feeling good this morning” with promising “range of motion [and] strength” in his left shoulder. Ohtani was expected at the ballpark shortly and was set to “go through the workout,” which would help determine his availability for Game 3.
When asked about the process for gauging Ohtani’s readiness, Roberts explained that the star would be taking “dry swings, which he’s done,” and then moving on to “taking balls off the tee [and] batting practice in the cage.” He described these steps as “telling” in assessing Ohtani’s condition, noting that “he’s obviously very well aware of himself and his body.” Roberts expressed that if Ohtani felt “good enough to go, then I see no reason why he wouldn’t be in there.”
The possibility of Ohtani aggravating the injury was also raised, to which Roberts replied, “Once we make the decision that he can play, I would assume that there isn’t a possibility of that.” He went on to characterize the situation as one of “pain tolerance and comfort” and acknowledged that managing Ohtani’s availability would be “per his tolerance.” Comparing it to past instances, Roberts said, “I guess you can put it in the Freddie bucket,” referencing a previous situation with Freddie Freeman.
When asked how much Ohtani might be compromised if he played, Roberts downplayed concerns, stating, “I don’t see him being compromised. It’s the left shoulder, which is the back shoulder, so I don’t see how that affects his hitting if he’s able to go.” He also compared the injury to a similar one Cody Bellinger sustained in the 2020 NLCS, noting that while Bellinger’s was the right shoulder, Ohtani’s left shoulder is less impactful on a left-handed swing.
Regarding Ohtani’s schedule after the injury, Roberts detailed, “He went into the training room… got with the trainers, the doctors, did a lot of strength and range of motion tests, then got some ice on it.” Imaging was later performed, but Roberts was unsure exactly when: “I don’t know if it was that night or yesterday morning or this morning.”
On the topic of Ohtani’s participation in Game 3, Roberts was optimistic, stating, “That’s my expectation given talking to Shohei, talking to the training staff, and getting the reports. I just know if it’s a per-tolerance situation, I just don’t see him not playing.” He noted that “today feels better than yesterday, and our assumption is tomorrow is going to feel better than today.”
As for the upcoming game, Roberts expressed confidence in Walker Buehler’s start, saying, “I feel great having Walker take the baseball… He’s a big game pitcher, and every game in the World Series is a big game.”
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