Add The California Post on Google CINCINNATI –– After a week of largely light physical activity, Shohei Ohtani is about to begin ramping up again.
Starting on Tuesday, the injured Dodgers slugger will begin swinging a bat again by hitting off a tee back in Los Angeles, according to manager Dave Roberts. That will mark the first time Ohtani has done any hitting activities since he was placed on the injured list last Wednesday amid ongoing right arm and left knee problems.
Previously, Ohtani’s days had been limited to “lifting [weights], working out, and [getting] treatment,” Roberts said, with the club giving the four-time MVP an intentionally light workload amid his first IL stint in three seasons with the team.
Now, Ohtani will embark on what the Dodgers can only hope is a more pain-free hitting progression for their 32-year-old two-way star, who has already been shut down from pitching for the rest of the season after repeated setbacks in his season-long injury saga.
“This,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s timeline, “is kind of what him and the training staff agreed upon.”
The last two times Ohtani tried hitting in a game, he appeared to be visibly ailing, especially with a right arm issue that has grown as a concern in recent weeks.
The injury was hampering Ohtani’s swing, leading to a 6-for-52 slump before he was finally placed on the 15-day IL. It also left him grimacing in the batter’s box and reporting discomfort to the team’s training staff.
The Dodgers do not expect Ohtani’s health to get back all the way back to 100% by the start of the playoffs. But, they are optimistic that he will be able to find a better (and less painful) feel for his swing in the coming week, before being eligible to be activated off the IL for the final five games of the regular season on Sept. 23.
Ohtani is not the only player currently dealing with an injury issue. Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup again on Monday while managing a right knee problem. Miguel Rojas returned from a shoulder issue he re-aggravated on a diving play Sunday. Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing also remained on the IL, though Pages has made strides with his own hitting progression by advancing to batting practice against softer rubber balls while rehabbing a fractured hand.
The pitching staff also has its own headaches –– even with trade deadline acquisition Kris Bubic set to be activated later in this week’s series against the Reds.
Roki Sasaki’s blister continues to leave his return date uncertain (he threw a bullpen session Monday to test a Dermabond adhesive). Edwin Díaz’s struggles on a minor-league rehab assignment have also put his status in doubt (he suffered a five-run inning on Sunday that will force him to make another outing in triple-A before being an option to return).
“Right now, [all the injuries are] front of mind,” Roberts conceded. “It’s not great.”
Starting Tuesday, the Dodgers will get their first test to see whether his health is truly improving.
“Once you get to October, athletes have a magical way of feeling better,” Roberts insisted.
For now, with Ohtani and so many others, the team can only hope that will prove to be the case.
