Updated

Updated · MLB.com · Sep 15

Ohtani Resumes Swinging After 15-Day IL Stint, Targeting Sept. 23 Earliest Return

Updated

Updated · MLB.com · Sep 15

Ohtani Resumes Swinging After 15-Day IL Stint, Targeting Sept. 23 Earliest Return

Q: Will a brief five-game window be enough to fix Ohtani's swing before the high-pressure playoffs begin?

Probably not by itself, but it may be enough if the rest and buildup have already addressed the root problem. The Dodgers are not treating those final five games as the full fix. They shut Ohtani down because his swing had deteriorated during a stretch in which he hit .198 over 24 games with 34 strikeouts, and they believed continuing to play could worsen both the slump and the underlying right biceps and left knee issues. The key for Los Angeles is whether the two weeks off restore his body and timing before he is activated. There is reason for cautious optimism. Roberts said Ohtani resumed tee work Tuesday and felt good, and the club expects a steady progression from there. Ohtani’s overall season track record remains elite, so he does not need a long reinvention of his mechanics as much as he needs to regain health, bat speed and timing. For a hitter of his caliber, a short runway can be enough to sharpen feel if the body is sound. Still, five games is not ideal. Tee work and cage sessions are useful, but they do not fully replicate major league velocity, sequencing or playoff intensity. If Ohtani returns rusty, there will be little regular-season margin to work through it in games before October. So the five-game window is less a repair period than a final test. If the IL stint truly resets his body, it could be sufficient. If the injuries are still limiting him, five games likely will not be enough to fully restore his swing before the playoffs.

3 articles · Updated · MLB.com · Sep 15

Shohei Ohtani took swings off a tee Tuesday in Los Angeles and felt good afterward, his first hitting work since the Dodgers shut him down last Wednesday.
Lingering right biceps and left knee injuries prompted the 15-day injured-list move, backdated to Sept. 8, leaving Sept. 23 as his earliest possible activation date.
Dave Roberts said Ohtani will build up gradually and is expected to return before the regular season ends, though only as a hitter because his pitching plans are shelved until 2027.
In his final 24 games before the shutdown, Ohtani hit .198 with a .690 OPS and 34 strikeouts as his attempted pitching ramp-up coincided with visible discomfort at the plate.
Los Angeles has still won 9 of 11 since first sitting him on Sept. 3, already clinching a 14th straight playoff berth while trying to get him ready for a postseason three-peat bid.