Shohei Ohtani was out of the Dodgers' lineup for the sixth time in seven games on Wednesday night after feeling something in his right arm during a swing two days earlier. Ohtani has been managing lingering soreness in his right biceps and left knee for weeks, but he waited until after Tuesday night's game to tell the training staff about his arm after playing Monday.
Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani had a swing Monday that he didn't feel great on and hasn't totally recovered from. Roberts said the plan was to give him Wednesday off and then huddle up with him and the medical staff to figure out next steps. The Dodgers are off Thursday and open a seven-game trip in Miami on Friday.
Roberts said anything should be on the table for Ohtani, including a potential stint on the injured list, which he noted would potentially be 15 days. Roberts said he still stands by whatever is best for Ohtani is best for the team, and that a decision will have to be made at some point.
Roberts expressed regret about not putting Ohtani on the IL last week, saying he would love to go back and do so, though at the time the team felt giving him four days off was sufficient and Ohtani was agreeable. Roberts said he feels confident Ohtani will be back at some point, though he does not know if that will be Friday.
Ohtani, a four-time MVP, is a key component of the Dodgers' bid for a third consecutive World Series championship, though he will not be pitching the rest of the season because of his injuries. Also out of the lineup Wednesday was first baseman Freddie Freeman, whose right knee has been bothering him; he appeared as designated hitter on Tuesday, going 0 for 2 with a strikeout in a 3-2 victory over the Reds.
