Straight Talk: Injuries no excuse for performance as Ohtani ready to go on

"Straight Talk" is a regular feature in which The Sporting Tribune's John E. Gibson offers a full translation of media availability with Dodgers Japanese stars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki. He will also help translate when Clippers star Rui Hachimura and L.A. Galaxy captain Maya Yoshida are asked questions in Japanese.

The job of interpreters in the heat of the moment is difficult without the ability to write down questions and answers and re-hear responses for proper context. That's where John comes in to help. John currently works as a Japanese-English interpreter and covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years. His experience as a sports reporter includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts, The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo and The Epoch Times. 

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani met with the media on Tuesday after manager Dave Roberts told reporters that the slump-hit Ohtani would not be dropped from the lineup for Game 3 of the NLCS. The Japanese slugging pitcher, whose injuries forced him from the mound in the second half of the season, answered questions about his status.

Q: Shohei, (manager) Dave (Roberts) just spoke to us and he said he had a conversation with you this afternoon and you shared that you feel better, you feel convicted and now you are ready to go? What are you feeling and what is just the difference with something maybe you believe you found, when it comes to your swing, that might lead to better results?

Ohtani: I feel like the symptoms I got much better in the second half of the season. And the same thing goes for my swing as well. I think on a daily basis, every player goes through thinking something like, this is working and that’s working. So day by day, I’m working on it.

 Q: Shohei, Dave said that you were convicted and adamant that you were close to finding something mechanically. What makes you feel that way? 

Ohtani: Well, there are positives and not necessarily negatives, but things that are off. Those happen throughout the course of a season. And now, I think there are good things, bad things and everything between that are happening at an extreme here in a short time. So I feel like I just prepare my body the best that I can and make adjustments during the season and right now to find the thing that works the best for me.

Q: Shohei, how much are your mechanics right now still being impacted by your injuries? And even if the symptoms have subsided, why hasn’t that translated to better results at the plate so far in the playoffs?

Ohtani: Well, if you ask me why, I think the only thing I could say is that’s the player I am right now. But I can say that if you do something for a long time, it becomes a habit and the movements tend to lean in that direction. That can be one scenario. And when you want to turn that in a different direction, you can either get rid of the pain or alter your movements. There are multiple ways to do it.

Q: Hi, Shohei, we know about the biceps and the knee. Is there anything else that you’ve been dealing with physically that you feel like has been limiting you at all?

Ohtani: Nothing in particular, but the symptoms are not the reason I’m not hitting. And as just I said earlier, this might all fall under the notion of this is who I am right now as a player, and that would include even sustaining some kind of unfortunate injury. And to make adjustments, we have practice today and I want to use that time wisely to get ready. 

Q: Shohei, with all the questions about your health and your performance, how much are you taking this as a personal challenge to help your team win this series?

Ohtani: I just want to focus on winning. When I’m at-bat, what’s the best choice I can make for us to have a good chance to win. And what can I do to increase the chances – I need to work on what’s the most confident way for me to hit or the best approach.

Q: Shohei, do you think playing through these injuries for as long as you did created and bad habits with your swing, and is that why your mechanics have been off for so long?

Ohtani: Hmmm, that’s something to think about. In the second half of the season, including going on the IL, it’s a plus that I was able to manage the pain, and I did what I could do during that time. And I plan to continue doing those things today and obviously want to work hard so that all the effort leads to a victory tomorrow.

Japanese media members had their time with Ohtani as well.

Q: (Mookie) Betts spoke about you and said that the team definitely needs your contributions. Other players and fans probably think the same way. How do you feel about comments like that?

Ohtani: Everyone probably thinks that way. And I want to go out and be at my best for the people who believe in me. And as long as those folks are there, I want to do my best, and I’ll do my utmost to work hard and do that.

Q: One more thing I’d like to confirm. When you hit a grounder and ran to first base, it appeared like you were feeling a little something. Did you actually have something going on in the knee or another part of the body, anything in particular happen?

Ohtani: No, nothing in particular.

Q: Hello. In Game 1, after you hit a foul ball in your final at-bat, you seemed to be grabbing your back. What’s the status of your back right now?

Ohtani: There’s nothing with my back, I’m fine.

Q: OK, one more thing. With your physical condition, do you feel confident you can get extra-base hits?

Ohtani: As far as slugging, I feel like it’s a matter of barreling it up. Anyone playing in the big leagues I feel can slug, so if you ask what the problem is, I think it’s a matter of timing and barreling the ball.

Q: Hello. So, right now you’re not getting the results. In these times, what is your mindset? Do you just try to go all out or are do you try to keep things normal? What is your mindset going in?

Ohtani: Well, when you talk about getting hits or not, or getting guys out or not, there’s an opponent involved and that means there’s a chance you won’t be in control of things sometimes. There are also times when you can improve the possibilities, but there will also be times you can’t. For example, a runner on third, the guy at the plate has a chance to score that runner, the opponent might make an error. You don’t know whether he will or not, but you have to be prepared for that. Yesterday’s game was a case when we had a pickoff throw that was wild. Some tiny thing like that, anyone can be ready for. And in a short series, I think those things are important, so first and foremost, I want to be ready for anything that happens.

Q: So Roberts said he was very positive about the talk and said there’s nothing to keep you out of the lineup for. But can you tell us exactly what he said to you and how you responded to him?

Ohtani: Well, he just said if I was fine physically, that everyone else here believes in me. If they’re going to put me in or take me out, just like during the regular season, that decision is up to the front office and the manager. That’s their job. Now that I’ll be in the lineup, I just want to do the work that’s required. Every player gets ready so they can be used when needed, and I want to do my work today as one of those players.

Q: You’re hitting outside right now. What are you checking?

Ohtani: I’m just trying to see the entire field. We played at Milwaukee, and that’s not a place where we play that much during the season, so I wanted to get a sense of what it looks like in the batter’s box.