Dodgers Shohei Ohtani injury concern grows, Dave Roberts left throwing his hands up
Forget about pitching.The Dodgers have to brace themselves for the possibility that they will enter the playoffs with a physically diminished version of Shohei Ohtani as their designated hitter.Ohtani’s body is broken.Ohtani’s form in the batter’s box has made that obvious, so much so that Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has abandoned the pretense that the injuries that have kept the two-way player from pitching aren’t affecting his hitting.Preparing Ohtani for October will be Roberts’ No.1 priority over the final month of the regular season, but what if he’s already past the point of no return?Ohtani has been dealing with problems with his right biceps for the last few months, and he was shaking that arm during and after his final at-bat in the Dodgers’ 10-inning, 8-6 loss to the St.
Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night.Of equal, if not greater, concern has to be his throbbing left knee, which has kept him from staying back on pitches and generating power.Looking as if he was hitting on one leg, Ohtani struck out four times in the game.The postseason starts in about a month.
Ohtani might not have enough time to improve the condition of his knee, no matter how many days off Roberts gives him between now and the regular-season finale in San Francisco on Sept.27.“Is a day or two, or I mean, shoot, even 10 days, is that going to help get him to be 100%?” Roberts said.
“Don’t know the answer, but I think where we’re at, I think he’s just going to have to find a way to make do and do the best he can.”Decisions made weeks and months ago by the Dodgers have produced a series of consequences that can’t be reversed.Rather than place Ohtani on the injured list, they permitted him to play with pain.Instead of pushing him to focus on hitting, they supported his efforts to return to the mound.The wagers were lost.
Ohtani hasn’t pitched since July 3, and his injuries have worsened to where he’s now a non-threat in the batter’s box.Over his last...