Shohei Ohtani does not travel with the team to the MRT

The Los Angeles Dodgers lead the New York Yankees 2-0 in the World Series, but the excitement of winning both games at Dodger Stadium was marred by Shohei Ohtani suffering from a subluxation of his left shoulder.

Ohtani suffered the injury on a stolen base attempt in the seventh inning. He was thrown out and immediately showed an expression of pain and discomfort.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, trainer Yosuke “Possum” Nakajima and interpreter Will Ireton attended to Ohtani, who carefully left the field while supporting his left shoulder.

Ohtani is scheduled to undergo an MRI scan of his left shoulder on Sunday and therefore did not travel with the Dodgers on their charter flight after Game 2, according to ESPN’s Alden González:

The Dodgers boarded their flight to New York late Saturday night, but Ohtani is expected to undergo a physical in Los Angeles and then fly alone to New York to meet with the team afterwards.

While Roberts cautioned that the Dodgers would not fully assess the extent of Ohtani’s injury until after the MRI scan, he suggested there is optimism for now.

“The strength was great, the range of motion was good. So we’re encouraged,” Roberts said. “But of course I can’t speculate because we don’t have the scans yet. Once we have the scans we will know more. Here too, the strength and good range of motion are certainly positive.”

Roberts also said he was informed that Ohtani’s injury was a subluxation of the shoulder and not a complete dislocation.

Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout in the Dodgers’ win. His spot in the lineup was no longer due unless the Dodgers had at least three batters in the bottom of the eighth.

“I didn’t think that far ahead,” Roberts said when asked if Ohtani would have been ready to bat after his shoulder injury. “I’m just glad we didn’t have to go to that place.”

Ohtani left Dodger Stadium without wearing any kind of sleeve or brace on his shoulder.

What Shohei Ohtani’s injury means for the Dodgers

Given the initial results of manual testing and the fact that Ohtani’s injury was a subluxation, it is conceivable that he would still be available for the World Series. However, it wouldn’t be a big surprise if he wasn’t in the lineup for Game 3.

If the Dodgers are without Ohtani while the World Series moves to Yankee Stadium, Freddie Freeman could be a likely candidate for the starting hitter job.

If the Dodgers need to replace Ohtani on their roster, he would not be allowed to play in 2024 due to MLB roster rules.

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