Shohei Ohtani was back atop the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup on Monday, Sept. 7 against the Cincinnati Reds after missing four games.
He last played Sept. 2, when he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against the St. Louis Cardinals and looked, for a few innings, like a hitter who could not catch up with the ball.
He returns as a designated hitter. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 because of inflammation in his left knee, and manager Dave Roberts said over the weekend that a mound return this season is unlikely. Nobody has closed the door, but he has not started throwing.
The knee issue dates to June. The right biceps flared up after that Sept. 2 game against the Cardinals. He is also dealing with a sore neck. Ohtani, 32, did nothing for two days,
then hit in an indoor cage Saturday, and his hitting coaches and the training staff all gave him the go-ahead.
Ohtani was cold before he sat. He has not hit a home run since Aug. 18. He had two hits in his last 23 at-bats with 11 strikeouts.
Overall, Ohtani is hitting .279 with a .381 on-base percentage, 30 home runs, 80 RBI, 11 stolen bases and a .906 OPS in 499 at-bats.
On the mound, Ohtani went 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP and 95 strikouts in 95 2/3 innings over 14 starts.
The Dodgers went into Monday night's game 86-57 and 10 games up on the Arizona Diamondbacks in the National League West. Milwaukee, at 89-56, has the better record in the NL, but the top two finishers get a bye, which would give Ohtani more time to rest.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani returns to Dodgers lineup after missing four games
