Shohei Ohtani will start for the Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series after suffering a shoulder injury

NEW YORK (AP) – Fears seemed to dissipate and Los Angeles Dodgers players smiled at Yankee Stadium as they prepared for the game Game three of the World Series: Shohei Ohtani was scheduled to play on Monday night despite a partially dislocated left shoulder.

Ohtani was injured sliding into second base when he was caught stealing to end the seventh inning Saturday’s victory 4:2 over the New York Yankees in Game 2 in Los Angeles.

Fans and teammates wondered if Sho could go this week.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani’s presence at the top of the batting order was almost certain.

“I just don’t see him not playing in the third game,” Roberts said before Sunday’s practice. If he feels good enough to leave, I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t play there.

Ohtani did not travel with the team to New York to undergo imaging. He was on a separate flight.

“When it comes to test results, doctors everywhere are hesitant. I don’t have them,” Roberts said. “It’s more about the coaching staff. Shohei feels good this morning, has range of motion and strength.”

Ohtani was scheduled to arrive on the field in time for practice, which began at 6 p.m. EST. Roberts said that since the injury, Ohtani has been taking dry swings and was going to hit the tee and take batting practice in the inside cage.

“That will be telling,” said the manager. “He still needs to get training and swing the bat, but he feels better today than he did yesterday and we assume he will feel better tomorrow than he did today.”

Roberts said the injury causes pain, but “it’s a matter of everyone’s tolerance.”

“I don’t see him being at risk,” he added. “It’s the left arm, or the back arm. So I don’t see how this will affect his hitting if he is able to play.

Looking to win their eighth title and second in five years, the Dodgers are 2-0 in the best-of-seven series. Walker Buehler starts his third game for Los Angeles against Clarke Schmidt.

“If he can play and wants to play, he will play,” Roberts said of Ohtani. “Schmidt will know that Shohei is in the box, and that means everything.”

Ohtani grabbed his left forearm after being caught by shortstop Anthony Volpe in the final seventh on a slider in front. He lay near the bag for several minutes before being attended to by athletic trainers and leaving the field.

The probable NL MVP was 0 for 3 with a walk in the second game. He went 1-for-8 in the first two games of the fall classic and was hitting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the major leagues.

AND two-time AL MVP with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani joined the Dodgers last December, setting a record $700 million, 10-year contract.

Ohtani, 30, hit .310 with 54 homers, 130 RBI and 59 stolen bases, becoming the first player to hit at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in season. The two-way star has not pitched this season while recovering elbow surgery September 19, 2023and was restricted to the designated hitter.

“I think any time you have arguably the best baseball player in the world, it will help some players and allow them to play with less pressure and more freedom,” Buehler said. “He’s been amazing for the club and our team, so it’s been a fun year to watch him 50-50 on the pitch, day-to-day and the kind of person he is.”

Ohtani was one of the few players on the Dodgers’ roster who made it through the season without major injuries. Nearly every member of the starting rotation was on the injured list, and the team led the league in injured list spots with 36 players and injured list days with 2,342 players.

Among position players, Mookie Betts was sidelined for almost two months with a broken left hand, and Max Muncy was sidelined for almost half the season with a torn oblique muscle in his right hand. Freddie Freeman is playing in the postseason with a sprained right ankle.

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