The Los Angeles Dodgers say Shohei Ohtani will be fit to play when the World Series heads to New York on Monday.
Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder while sliding to second base during the Dodgers’ win in LA on Saturday night, giving them a 2-0 lead in the series. There were fears that the Japanese star’s season could be over, but on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told ESPN that Ohtani will be available for Monday’s Game 3 at Yankee Stadium.
“It’s in a great spot. He’s playing tomorrow,” Roberts told ESPN’s Karl Ravech.
Ohtani had a brilliant regular season, becoming the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. He’s had a good but not outstanding postseason by his high standards so far, posting an .863 OPS, below his regular season average of .945. He is 1 of 8 in the first two games of the World Series. Ohtani was one of the few players on the Dodgers roster to get through the season without a major injury. The pitching staff has been ravaged by injuries, with nearly every member of the starting rotation spending time on the injured list.
Los Angeles is two wins away from clinching the best-of-seven series, which would secure its second championship in five years.
