Concerns seemed to vanish and Los Angeles Dodgers players wore smiles at Yankee Stadium as they prepared for Game 3 of the World Series: Shohei Ohtani was set to play Monday night despite a partially dislocated left shoulder.
Ohtani got hurt sliding into second base when he was caught stealing to end the seventh inning of Saturday night’s 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 2 at Los Angeles.
Fans and teammates wondered whether Sho could go this week.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made Ohtani’s presence atop the batting order sound close to a sure thing.
“I just don’t see him not playing Game 3,” Roberts said before Sunday night’s workout. “If he feels good enough to go, then I see no reason why he wouldn’t be in there.”
Ohtani did not travel with the team to New York in order to undergo imaging. He was on a separate flight.
“As far as test results, we’ve got doctors scrambling everywhere. I don’t have them,” Roberts said. “This is more me going by the training staff, Shohei feeling good this morning, range of motion, strength.”
Ohtani was due to arrive at the ballpark in time for the workout, which started at 6 p.m. EDT. Roberts said Ohtani had taken dry swings since the injury and was going to hit off a tee and take batting practice in an indoor cage.
“That’s going to be telling,” the manager said. “He’s got to still go through the workout and swing the bat, but, again, today feels better than yesterday, and our assumption is tomorrow’s going to feel better than today.”
Roberts said the injury causes pain but “it’s just everyone’s tolerance.”
“I don’t see him being compromised,” he added. “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.”
Seeking their eighth title and second in five years, the Dodgers lead 2-0 in the best-of-seven Series. Walker Buehler starts Game 3 for Los Angeles against Clarke Schmidt.
“If he is able to play, willing to play, he’s going to play,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “Schmidt will know that Shohei’s in the box, so that means everything.”
Ohtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the seventh on a feetfirst slide. He laid near the bag for a couple of minutes before being tended to by athletic trainers and leaving the field.
The likely NL MVP was 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 2. He is
