No player is a bigger question mark for the Los Angeles Dodgers than Shohei Ohtani as they prepare to go for a third straight World Series title, so much so that the man himself doesn’t seem to fully understand what’s ailing him.
Speaking with reporters the day before Game 1 of the NLDS against the Atlanta Braves, Ohtani said he’s still figuring out what is causing the knee, biceps and neck issues he has experienced in the past few months. He plans to address them more in the offseason.
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His full comment, via interpreter Will Ireton:
“I haven’t been able to get a good grasp of the root cause of all this, so I think that process is going to happen during the offseason when I’m going have a little bit more time to be able to address it. As of now, it’s something I’m just going to have to manage.”
Ohtani began the season both hitting and pitching for the Dodgers, but hasn’t taken the mound since July 3 due to the knee issue. He received a lubricant injection in the joint during the All-Star break, but the problems eventually began to impact his hitting enough that the Dodgers placed him on the injured list in September.
The biceps issue came up a few weeks after the knee and was the stated reason for the IL placement. The neck soreness was first mentioned as a problem in September.
The timing of the IL placement meant the Dodgers could only activate Ohtani with five games remaining in the regular season. In those five games, he went 5-for-21 with 1 walk, 8 strikeouts and one extra-base hit, a double.
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The Dodgers have insisted he is feeling better since coming back, though, and the player himself reiterated that on Friday:
“[My body] feels really good overall. I do feel like my swing is in a better place — it feels smooth. Just a little tweaks here and there and I’ll be ready for tomorrow.”
In the worst-case scenario where Ohtani needs to be replaced, the Dodgers have a natural option in 21-year-old Josue De Paula, who replaced Ohtani as designated hitter during his IL stint and slashed .323/.500/.581 in the first 11 games of his MLB career.
For now, De Paula is seen as likely to make the NLDS roster for the Dodgers as their top left-handed bat off the bench.
