LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder during the seventh inning of Saturday's Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees when he tried to steal second base.
Ohtani's status for Monday's Game 3 in New York is unclear. Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani “had a little left shoulder subluxation” and would get image testing either Saturday night or Sunday.
Ohtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the inning on a feetfirst slide. He laid near the bag for a couple minutes before being tended to by trainers and leaving the field.
“We’ll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. “The strength was great. The range of motion good, so we’re encouraged. But obviously I can’t speculate because don’t get the scans yet. So once we have the scans, we’ll know more.”
The Dodgers held on for a 4-2 victory and lead the Series 2-0.
The Japanese superstar — and presumptive National League MVP — was 0 for 3 with a walk in the game. He is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic and is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the majors.
Most of Ohtani's injuries since coming to the majors in 2018 have been pitching related, including major operations on his right elbow in 2018 and last year. The two-way phenomenon has not pitched this year but became the first player in major league history with at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.
In September of 2019, he had surgery on his left kneecap due to a rare and congenital condition. The procedure was on his bipartite patella, or a two-part kneecap that didn’t fuse together at birth.
Ohtani missed the 2017 World Baseball Classic after having ankle surgery because of an injury he suffered during the 2016 Japan Series.
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Joe Reedy, The Associated Press