Dodgers 'encouraged' by early signs after Ohtani injured shoulder in G2

LOS ANGELES — After a 4-2 win over the Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, the mood in the clubhouse wasn't nearly as upbeat as it should have been for a team two wins away from a victory. title

After a quick celebration, all attention immediately turned to the condition of superstar Shohei Ohtani, who left Saturday's game in the seventh inning with a left shoulder subluxation, a partial dislocation, according to manager Dave Roberts.

Ohtani left the stadium immediately after the game and did not provide an update on his injury. But he will have an MRI on Sunday before he leaves for New York.

“Tonight, tomorrow we're going to do some tests and then we'll know more in the next couple of days,” Roberts said. “But the energy was great. Speed ​​range, good. So we are encouraged. But obviously I can't guess because we don't have the scan yet. Once we have the scan, we will know more.”

With the initial indication, Roberts would not say whether Ohtani would be forced to miss any time in the rest of the World Series. Asked what Los Angeles' plan would be without Ohtani, Roberts said the team “wasn't there yet.”

“Obviously it's a huge bummer,” Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman said. “He's the best player in the game, and to see him on the ground in pain, it's definitely not a good feeling. I don't know if there are any reports yet, but we hope he recovers quickly. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to him.”

After walking Yankees reliever Clay Holmes in the seventh, Ohtani headed for second base and appeared to pass the bag as he reached awkwardly with his left hand. Before that, however, Ohtani's hands were caught behind his body. It was Ohtani's second stolen-base effort in the postseason after swiping 59 bags in the regular season.

“He's a pretty smart baserunner,” Roberts said. “With two outs, trying to fight in the World Series game, it was the right play. [It’s] Just, baseball happens.”

As Gleyber Torres applied the tag to second base, Ohtani knew something was wrong. He immediately signaled to the second-base umpire for a timeout. A microphone on the base captures Ohtani telling the trainer that he hurt his shoulder. When asked if he misplaced it, Ohtani replied “I don't know” in Japanese.

“The scene [was] Very worrying,” Roberts said. “Obviously when you've got one of your players that falls, it's very worrying. But after the range of motion, the strength test, I felt better about it.”

While the severity of the injury won't be clear for at least another 24 hours, losing Ohtani for any length of time would be a devastating blow to the Dodgers' offense going forward.

Before the injury, Ohtani was just 1-for-8 in the Fall Classic, but he scored the game-tying run in the eighth inning of the Game 1 win. His presence in the lineup is something that cannot be overstated.

If Ohtani is forced to miss time, the Dodgers could work Freddie Freeman as the designated hitter, possibly opening up more playing time for Andy Pages, who hit a homer in Game 5 of the NL Championship Series against the Mets.

“We've battled a lot of injuries all year,” Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez said. “It's not going to be a good feeling, but if he can't go on Monday, then we just have to do what we've been doing for the last couple of weeks.”