Shohei Ohtani to play in Game 3 of World Series despite injury, per report

NEW YORK -- Concerns seemed to vanish and Los Angeles Dodgers players wore smiles astatine Yankee Stadium arsenic they prepared for Game 3 of nan World Series: Shohei Ohtani was group to play Monday nighttime contempt a partially dislocated near shoulder.

Ohtani sewage hurt sliding into 2nd guidelines erstwhile he was caught stealing to extremity nan seventh inning of Saturday night’s 4-2 victory complete nan New York Yankees successful Game 2 astatine Los Angeles.

Fans and teammates wondered whether Sho could spell this week.

Dodgers head Dave Roberts made Ohtani's beingness atop nan batting bid sound adjacent to a judge thing.

“I conscionable don’t spot him not playing Game 3,” Roberts said earlier Sunday night's workout. “If he feels bully capable to go, past I spot nary logic why he wouldn’t beryllium successful there.”

Ohtani did not recreation pinch nan squad to New York successful bid to acquisition imaging. He was connected a abstracted flight.

“As acold arsenic trial results, we’ve sewage doctors scrambling everywhere. I don’t person them,” Roberts said. “This is much maine going by nan training staff, Shohei emotion bully this morning, scope of motion, strength.”

Ohtani was owed to get astatine nan ballpark successful clip for nan workout, which started astatine 6 p.m. EDT. Roberts said Ohtani had taken barren swings since nan wounded and was going to deed disconnected a tee and return batting believe successful an indoor cage.

“That’s going to beryllium telling,” nan head said. “He’s sewage to still spell done nan workout and plaything nan bat, but, again, coming feels amended than yesterday, and our presumption is tomorrow’s going to consciousness amended than today.”

Roberts said nan wounded causes symptom but “it's conscionable everyone’s tolerance.”

“I don’t spot him being compromised,” he added. “It’s nan near shoulder, which is nan backmost shoulder. So I don’t spot really that affects his hitting, if he’s capable to go.”

Seeking their eighth title and 2nd successful 5 years, nan Dodgers lead 2-0 successful nan best-of-seven Series. Walker Buehler starts Game 3 for Los Angeles against Clarke Schmidt.

“If he is capable to play, consenting to play, he’s going to play,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “Schmidt will cognize that Shohei’s successful nan box, truthful that intends everything.”

Ohtani clutched his near forearm aft being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for nan last retired successful nan seventh connected a feetfirst slide. He laid adjacent nan container for a mates of minutes earlier being tended to by diversion trainers and leaving nan field.

The apt NL MVP was 0 for 3 pinch a locomotion successful Game 2. He is 1 for 8 successful nan first 2 games of nan Fall Classic and is batting .260 pinch 3 location runs and 10 RBIs successful his first postseason successful nan majors.

A two-time AL MVP pinch nan Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani joined nan Dodgers past December for a grounds $700 million, 10-year contract.

The 30-year-old Ohtani deed .310 pinch 54 homers, 130 RBIs and 59 stolen bases, becoming nan first subordinate pinch astatine slightest 50 homers and 50 stolen bases successful a season. The two-way prima did not transportation this play while recovering from elbow room connected Sept. 19, 2023, and has been constricted to designated hitter.

“Any clip you person astir apt nan champion shot subordinate successful nan world, I deliberation it’s going to thief and frees up immoderate of nan different guys to benignant of play pinch a small little unit aliases a small much freedom,” Buehler said. “He’s been awesome for nan clubhouse and awesome for our team, truthful it’s been a cool twelvemonth watching him pinch nan 50-50, conscionable benignant of nan time to time and nan benignant of quality he is, arsenic well."

Ohtani had been 1 of nan fewer players connected nan Dodgers roster who sewage done nan play without a awesome injury. Nearly each personnel of nan starting rotation spent clip connected nan injured database and nan squad led nan fields successful injured database placements pinch 36 and days connected nan injured database pinch 2,342.

Among nan position players, Mookie Betts was retired for astir 2 months owed to a surgery near hand, and Max Muncy was retired astir half nan play owed to a correct oblique strain. Freddie Freeman is playing successful nan postseason pinch a sprained correct ankle.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb