NEW YORK — An awkward slide and a shoulder subluxation couldn’t keep Shohei Ohtani out of the lineup for the World Series.
Ohtani batted leadoff in Game 3 Monday night as the World Series shifted to New York, two days after the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar partially dislocated his left shoulder on a stolen-base attempt in Game 2.
His impact was immediate, even as he left the bat on his shoulder, drawing a four-pitch walk to begin the game. A few moments later, he could trot home on Freddie Freeman’s two-run homer that launched the Dodgers to a 4-2 victory and 3-0 World Series lead.
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As Ohtani ran the bases, he kept his injured left arm stationary, which he said was protecting himself from, well, himself.
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‘The reason why I was holding on to myself when I was running is to make sure that I wouldn’t use that same arm if I were to slide,’ he said via translator Will Ireton after the game.
Ohtani flew separately from the team Sunday after getting further testing and manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani would be in the lineup agains Schmidt if he could manage the pain.
As the Dodgers were on their way to the airport Saturday night, the players received a message from Ohtani in their group text. The news was good.
‘He texted the whole team as we were on our way to the airport and said he was going to be fine, and that’s it,’ Dodgers infielder Max Muncy said. ‘He said he was going to play, so we all put it to the side at that moment.
‘We said, all right, he’s got us. We’ll be ready for him to be in the lineup.’
The team does not believe Ohtani risks further injury by playing. Ohtani, the greatest two-way player in the sport’s history, is not pitching until 2025 and of course, the injury was to both his non-throwing shoulder and his trail arm in his left-handed swing.
‘He was very adamant that he was going to play,’ Roberts said. ‘I watched him take swings last night in the cage, looked really good, strong. Ball was coming off the bat.
‘I think there was more uncertainty in all of our minds, but in his mind from day one – from Saturday evening – he was going to play.’
Roberts confirmed that Ohtani is receiving myriad forms of treatment, including a likely cortisone shot, and his anxiety was allayed when he saw Ohtani working out late Sunday night at Yankee Stadium.
‘Saturday night to yesterday when I saw him in the cage hitting balls 102 miles an hour off a tee, that was joy,’ says Roberts. ‘I’m not really thinking about kind of where he’s at physically. He’s in the lineup, so that’s all I’m thinking about.’
Ohtani says he doesn’t believe he’ll need a surgical procedure after the season, although more testing will be conducted. For the moment, there is Game 4 and a chance to win a World Series.
‘I think it’s something that’s going to happen after the season is over, do additional testing,’ he says. ‘But in terms of how I feel now, I don’t think so.’
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