Shohei Ohtani is expected to be activated from the injured list on Wednesday, Sept. 23, manager Dave Roberts told reporters on Tuesday, Sept. 22. If that holds true, it would mean the Los Angeles Dodgers' franchise cornerstone would have five games to ramp up before the start of the postseason.
Ohtani, who has been on the 15-day IL retroactively since Sept. 8 due to lingering issues with his right bicep and left knee, took coach pitch batting practice and went through his normal workout routine on Tuesday ahead of a 7-0 win over the San Diego Padres and according to the Dodgers skipper, he continues to check all the boxes necessary for a return.
"The thought is tomorrow," Roberts told reporters. "Unless I hear otherwise, he'll be in the lineup
tomorrow."
The Dodgers have gotten hot in Ohtani's absence, posting an 8-3 record since Sept. 11 – the day he was placed on the IL – and outscoring their opponents 59-28 in that timeframe. They enter Wednesday on a five-game winning streak, have already won the NL West and their magic number to clinch a first-round bye is down to 1. Ohtani will have the opportunity to find his footing in low-stakes games to finish out the regular season. That's huge considering he did not face live pitching in his hitting progression. But what does his impending return mean for the rest of the Dodgers lineup?
Catcher Eliezer Alfonzo was optioned on Tuesday as center fielder Andy Pages made his return. Alex Freeland could be a candidate to get optioned with rookie Josue De Paula, who is in the middle of an impressive "trial run" in his first shot at the big leagues and making a serious push at making the playoff roster. If he does play in October, it would likely be as a lefty bat off the bench.
Dalton Rushing, who has been on the IL since Sept. 6 with right elbow discomfort, is also expected to be activated soon and will battle with De Paula for that spot over the final five games, though Roberts acknowledged that Rushing is at a disadvantage with a small window to show what he can do.
"It’s not a knock on him," Roberts told reporters. "He’s been great for us. but it’s still tough given that also you’re talking about the consistency of at-bats recently from Josue. We have to have those conversations and make a decision."
Whatever the decision ends up being, a red-hot Dodgers offense with Ohtani at the top of it – though Roberts has said he'd consider keeping Mookie Betts batting leadoff against lefties – suddenly makes them one of the toughest matchups this October just when they were looking like they were in their most vulnerable state just weeks ago.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What Shohei Ohtani's impending return means for Dodgers' lineup
