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Latest information on Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani injury; Yankees reaction


Latest information on Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani injury; Yankees reaction

LOS ANGELES — Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres didn't notice anything unusual in the Dodgers' seventh inning Saturday night when 50/50 starter Shohei Ohtani tried to grab a World Series stolen first base.

Already up by three runs, the Dodgers were looking for more coverage to help them get to the finish line and take a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven.

Torres rushed to the bag, catcher Austin Wells' throw was spot on and Ohtani slid into his tag.

“I was just trying to spot the out, but I didn't really see what happened,” Torres said after the Yankees lost 4-2.

“I saw him slip and just stay down,” Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo added.

The inning was over, but Ohtani was flat on his back.

“The whole stadium went quiet,” Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “You know how important Shohei is to this team.”

The Dodgers soon received a very encouraging update.

Preliminary imaging showed Ohtani has a shoulder subluxation, a partial dislocation that can be gently pushed back into place.

That's certainly better than a broken collarbone or separated shoulder that would end the season.

“He had a mild left shoulder subluxation, but strength was great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “The range of motion is good. So we’re encouraged.”

Ohtani wasn't out of the woods yet. He flew with the Dodgers from Los Angeles to New York late at night and had his photo taken in New York on Monday.

“At some point we'll do some testing and then we'll know more in the next few days,” Roberts added. “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' early prediction is that Ohtani will be ready to play Monday night when the Yankees and Dodgers play Game 3 at Yankee Stadium.

This injury scare occurred on Ohtani's slide.

“He slides on his left knee, right foot forward,” Roberts said. “That’s my guess. Then, when he lowered his hand, it probably caused a subluxation. That’s probably it.”

The Yankees also hoped for the best, even though they knew it would help them that Ohtani was out.

“First you hope he’s fit for the sport,” Rizzo said. “You want your best players on the field. If they lose a man like that, it’s obviously a big loss for their team.”

Yankees pitcher Carlos Rodon added: “As a competitor and a baseball player, you don’t want to see anyone get hurt. He is such a great player. That would be a terrible loss for them.”

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Randy Miller can be reached at [email protected].

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