It’s almost all systems go for Shohei Ohtani.
After spending the last two weeks on the injured list nursing right arm and left knee injuries, the Dodgers’ two-way star is expected to be activated on Wednesday, when his minimum 15-day stint on the IL will be up.
“Unless I hear otherwise,” manager Dave Roberts said, “he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow.”
The news represents a best-case scenario for the Dodgers and Ohtani, at least relative to where he was at health-wise when he initially went on the IL on Sept. 11 (in a move that was backdated to Sept. 8).
At that point, the slugger was mired in a 6-for-52 slump at the plate. His hopes of returning to pitching this season had been dashed by repeated setbacks in his pitching program. And he had played in just one of the Dodgers’ previous seven games as a designated hitter, after finally showing visible signs of pain from the injuries he had played through for much of the season.
Ohtani was always expected to return to the Dodgers. But it was an open question of whether that would happen before the end of the regular season. And it long ago became clear he was unlikely to get back to 100% this year.
Now, however, the Dodgers at least have some hopeful clarity on the eve of the postseason.
Roberts said Ohtani has felt “considerably” better over the course of his IL stint, noting that “if he was a 5 [out of 10 health-wise] before, he’s probably an 8 or 9 now.”
On Tuesday, Ohtani was set to check the final box of his return-to-play plan, scheduled to go through coach-pitch batting practice in the team’s hitting cages and his normal workout regimen in the weight room.
“Given that’s probably a light lift today for him,” Roberts said, “he should be ready to go tomorrow.”
There is still some uncertainty about where Ohtani will slot into the Dodgers’ batting order upon his return.
The resurgence of Mookie Betts has given the team another viable option in the leadoff spot — the place Ohtani has hit previously in every game this season.
Roberts said the choice could come down to pitching matchups, hinting that the right-handed-hitting Betts would lead off against left-handed pitchers (including, potentially, Padres southpaw Robbie Ray on Wednesday) and the left-handed-hitting Ohtani would lead off against right-handed pitchers.
Either way, just getting Ohtani back represents a boon to the Dodgers’ offense.
He will have five games left in the regular season to prepare for the playoffs and try to rediscover his typical production at the plate.
After missing two weeks with his first IL stint as a Dodger, he is set to return as soon as he was eligible.
