Dodger Stadium buzzed with excitement on Saturday night as fans watched Game 2 of the World Series. But the lively atmosphere turned tense in the seventh inning when Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ superstar, injured his shoulder in a failed steal attempt.
Ohtani, who had drawn a two-out walk, attempted to take second but was tagged out by Yankees catcher Austin Wells. As he slid to evade the tag from second baseman Gleyber Torres, Ohtani stayed down on the field for several moments, his arm trailing behind him as he tried to shield his shoulder.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared that Ohtani had suffered a subluxation, or partial dislocation, of his left shoulder. However, initial assessments of Ohtani’s strength and range of motion were promising, offering hope for a quick recovery.
“Once we get the scans, we’ll know more, but with his strength and range of motion good, that’s certainly a positive,” Roberts remarked after the Dodgers’ 4-2 victory, which put them ahead 2-0 in the series.
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The typically electric crowd fell silent as Ohtani exited the field with a trainer. “The whole stadium went silent,” Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández said, reflecting the gravity of the situation as fans watched one of the game’s brightest stars leave the field with an injury.
While Roberts expressed optimism about Ohtani’s chances to stay in the lineup, he admitted he hadn’t yet considered the possibility of Ohtani missing the remainder of the series. “I’m expecting him to be there. I’m expecting him to be in the lineup,” Roberts stated.
Ohtani has already made history as a two-way player, becoming the only player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. Despite a year where he has primarily taken on hitting duties, appearing in 159 games, he has been a cornerstone of the Dodgers’ success.
Even Yankees star Aaron Judge acknowledged the weight of Ohtani’s injury. “You never like seeing the best player in the game get injured like that,” Judge said. “Hopefully it’s all good news, and we’ll see what happens.”
As the Dodgers prepare for Game 3 in New York on Monday, fans, teammates, and opponents alike await further updates on Ohtani’s condition, hoping he can continue his remarkable postseason journey.
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