Could Shohei Ohtani Miss the Rest of the Postseason?

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Dodgers Face a Crucial Decision on Shohei Ohtani

The Dodgers face a key decision regarding Shohei Ohtani as they trail 0-2 in the series. If they remove him from the roster, he would be unavailable for the World Series should the Dodgers advance. However, he has looked lost at the plate, raising questions about whether he is healthy enough to continue playing.

The central issue is the extent of Ohtani’s injury. The Dodgers have not been forthcoming about his condition, making it difficult to determine how much of his performance is injury-related. The question is whether a limited Ohtani is still a better option than anyone available on the bench.

One possibility would be to sit Ohtani, though that would also create questions about whether he could be used as a pinch hitter. If the Dodgers have him evaluated again in Los Angeles and determine that the injury is serious, they may have to consider removing him from the roster for the remainder of the postseason.

The situation is more urgent because the Dodgers cannot afford to wait several days for Ohtani to recover. They need to win the next game and avoid falling behind 0-3. While they could still win three consecutive games and take control of the series, overcoming a three-game deficit would be a much more difficult challenge.

Dropping Ohtani in the batting order is another option, but continuing to play him could risk further injury. His struggles were already evident in the previous series, and he has not looked close to full strength.

Ohtani may have told the Dodgers he was healthy enough to play because he wanted to pitch, compete for the Cy Young and return to the field. With the team now facing a critical moment, the Dodgers may need to step in and decide that he cannot continue. There is also a suspicion that his condition could eventually require surgery.

Despite the 0-2 deficit, the series is not over. The Dodgers could still turn it around and advance, but the belief expressed in the discussion was that Ohtani may have already played his final game of the postseason.