The Los Angeles Dodgers are hopeful that Shohei Ohtani will be in improved condition when they kick off their playoff campaign. The two-way standout came off the injured list to appear in the last five regular-season games after battling problems with his right biceps and left knee.
Ohtani now has five days to rest and refine his swing before the Dodgers face the Chicago Cubs in the opening game of their National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. During those final five games, he went 5-for-21 with one extra-base hit, eight strikeouts, and one walk.
Shohei Ohtani gets time to recover
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes stated that Ohtani is feeling physically well as the postseason approaches. Gomes also thinks the five-day gap will allow the 31-year-old to keep getting at-bats and fine-tune his swing before Game 1.
“Everything is feeling great physically,” Gomes said. “The swings, once he came back, overall were in a good place, and using these five days to continue to get reps and feel good into this series is really important.”
Ohtani wrapped up the regular season with a .275 batting average and an .889 OPS, and his 30 home runs paced the Dodgers. His injuries restricted his pitching and led to a tough stretch at the plate that dashed his chances of capturing a fifth MVP award.
Dodgers prepare Ohtani for the postseason
Ohtani’s slump involved hitting .198 with 34 strikeouts over 24 games before he was put on the injured list. Once he returned, though, the Dodgers gave him the final five regular-season games to get back into rhythm.
Manager Dave Roberts thinks Ohtani can now display a better version of himself after having more time to recover from the issues that hampered him.
“I feel confident that you’re going to see the best version of Shohei of the last two months,” Roberts said. “I know that’s sort of a low bar given his injury, but I do think that he’s as healthy as he’s been in quite some time.”
Shohei Ohtani aims to regain his best form
Roberts mentioned that Ohtani’s physical state has kept improving, with the training staff noticing daily progress. The manager expects him to stay a threat in the Dodgers lineup while also hoping his hitting performance picks up.
The Dodgers will use the days before the division series to provide Ohtani with more chances to prepare. Roberts wants him to take several live at-bats and also practice against the Trajekt machine.
“He did everything he could to manage it, all the while being somewhat compromised,” Roberts said. “I think that he’s going to be as healthy and feel as good as he’s felt.”
Dodgers lineup gets Ohtani back
Ohtani’s return provides the Dodgers with a player they expect to be healthier when the playoffs begin. His regular-season stats featured a team-best 30 home runs, while the time out of the lineup let him deal with the injuries that had troubled him.
With five days between the end of the regular season and Game 1, the Dodgers have time to keep getting Ohtani ready for the series. Their hope is that the added recovery and hitting work will have him feeling as good as he has in a while when the postseason gets underway.