LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani was out of the Dodgers’ starting lineup for the sixth time in seven games on Wednesday with nagging injuries that are not expected to go away before the postseason ends.
Ohtani’s return to the starting lineup could come as soon as Friday in the opener of a three-game road series against the Miami Marlins. Then again, he could be out until the final home series against the San Diego Padres later this month if a stint on the injured list is needed.
Ohtani sat out four consecutive games through the weekend with continued left knee and right biceps discomfort. He returned Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds, going 0 for 3 with one walk and two strikeouts.
Another day out of the lineup Tuesday was supposed to be part of a controlled return to action before the lineup was revealed Wednesday and that one didn’t have Ohtani in it either.
“Learned this last night, that there was a swing Monday that he didn’t feel great on,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So with that information, hasn’t totally recovered from Monday. So the thought is to give him today and then huddle up with him, the medical staff, and figure out what’s the next steps. So I think that that’s kind of where we’re at.”
Roberts has stressed the need for transparency from Ohtani, but the star run producer did not inform the club of his setback Monday. In fact, Ohtani hit in the batting cage during Tuesday’s game and was considered for a pinch-hit role before not playing.
“I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL (last week),” Roberts said. “But I did feel at that moment in time, we all felt that giving him four days was sufficient. He was agreeable. (We got) him out there on Monday with the hope that he would be able to play tonight.”
Complicating the IL decision is that as a designated two-way player, Ohtani would have to miss 15 games and not the standard 10 for position players.
Ohtani’s time off has not been costly to the team so far. The Dodgers entered Wednesday’s series and homestand finale on a six-game winning streak.
In the first five games Ohtani missed, Tommy Edman was 7 for 21 (.333) with a home run, five runs scored and five RBIs batting leadoff. He was in the top spot again Wednesday.
With just 2½ weeks remaining in the regular season, the Dodgers are running out of time to strike a balance between getting Ohtani the time off he needs while having him as productive as possible when October arrives.
“I think the balancing part, No. 1 is getting him back to as healthy as he can be,” Roberts said. “Is he going to be 100% by the end of this season? No.”
If there is a baseline of where the Dodgers need Ohtani to be by the time the playoffs start, it is how he felt Monday when he tried to return. Then again, he also had his setback that day.
“I think that yeah, if he’s out there, he’s certainly a presence,” Roberts said. “But right now there’s still enough time to, if he needs days, to do that, all the while still finding time to get at-bats to prepare for the postseason.”
At stake over the next month is the Dodgers getting a player who at least somewhat resembles the one who has compiled a .277 batting average with a .902 OPS, 30 home runs and 80 RBIs in 130 games.
What they might have to be ready for is one who batted .231 with a .778 OPS, six home runs and 13 RBIs in 30 games since the start of August.
“Anything should be on the table as far as kind of what gets him to be the best version of himself in September,” Roberts said about more potential off days for Ohtani in the coming weeks.
A DAY FOR FREEMAN
Ohtani was not the only Dodgers player to get rest because of an injury issue. All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup with right knee discomfort.
Freeman received two days out of the lineup on the homestand after also missing Friday’s game against the Washington Nationals for rest. He was the designated hitter in place of Ohtani on Tuesday.
“I talked to him and the training staff, so we felt it was best to just give him a day so we can give him two days (with Thursday’s off day) and then see how he is on Friday,” Roberts said.
Freeman is 3 for 22 with a home run and three RBIs since the start of September, with two of the hits coming in the same game. He is batting .297 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs this season and is on pace for 18 homers, which would be his lowest in a full season since also hitting 18 in 2014 and 2015.
Utility player Kiké Hernandez has started three of the past six games at first base.
ALSO
Right-hander Roki Sasaki, who is on the injured list with a blister issue, threw four simulated innings in the afternoon heat and could be lined up to return to the starting rotation next week during a four-game road series in Cincinnati.
UP NEXT
Dodgers (TBD) at Marlins (TBD), Friday, 4:10 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA, 570 AM, 1020 AM