The Los Angeles Dodgers entered Thursday’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds with a chance to lock up the National League West and with a fresh update on Shohei Ohtani that pointed in a better direction.
Manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani has progressed to taking pitches from coaches as he works his way back from the injured list. A regular-season return remains possible.
Ohtani, 32, has been on the 15-day injured list since early last week after lingering problems in his left knee and right biceps, along with earlier neck and hip soreness, forced the club to shut him down. He last appeared Sept. 7 against Cincinnati at Dodger Stadium, going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk.
Because he is a two-way player, MLB rules require a minimum 15-day stay. The earliest he can be activated is Sept. 23, leaving a handful of regular-season games if the Dodgers decide to ease him back before October.
Ohtani is hitting .277 with 30 home runs, 80 RBIs and a .902 OPS in 130 games. He also posted an 8-2 record and 1.79 ERA over 85 2/3 innings before the Dodgers stopped using him on the mound after July 3.
The club already has clinched a playoff berth, matching a major league record with a 14th straight postseason appearance. Los Angeles sits at 92-60, nine games ahead of the San Diego Padres with 10 games remaining, including Thursday’s 12:40 p.m. ET start at Great American Ball Park.
A win Thursday, or a Padres loss later in the day, would give the Dodgers their fifth consecutive division title and 13th in the past 14 seasons. They already own the season-series tiebreaker over San Diego.
Roberts also said closer Edwin Diaz is expected to be active Friday after a more encouraging outing at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Outfielder Andy Pages, out since mid-August with a broken hand, is “very likely” to come off the injured list during the upcoming homestand against the San Francisco Giants.
The Dodgers have kept winning without their biggest star. They ripped off a seven-game streak earlier this month, including a 14-1 rout of the Reds the night Ohtani officially went on the IL, and they clinched a playoff spot earlier this week in Cincinnati.
Ohtani’s production has cooled since mid-August. He has not homered or driven in a run since Aug. 18 and entered the IL stint in a 6-for-46 slump. The team has used prospect Josue De Paula at designated hitter in his place.
Roberts has described the IL move as a reset rather than a long-term setback. The goal is to have Ohtani available for the postseason, where the two-time defending World Series champions will try for a third straight title.
Taking coach pitch is the next step after Ohtani hit off a tee earlier in the week and reported feeling good. Team officials have described the buildup as gradual and have not set a firm activation date.
Los Angeles still has series remaining against the Giants and Padres after it leaves Cincinnati. Those games give the club a window to get Ohtani a few at-bats if he is cleared.
Blake Snell left Wednesday’s 6-2 loss after one inning with left groin tightness, adding another item to the training staff’s list. The left-hander said afterward he expects to make another start before the regular season ends.
Even with the injuries, the Dodgers have the National League’s second-best record behind only the Milwaukee Brewers. A division crown would put them in position to chase a first-round bye.
Ohtani’s 30 home runs still lead the club. Freddie Freeman is hitting .293. Yoshinobu Yamamoto has 14 wins and 178 strikeouts.
The next few days will show how quickly Ohtani can move from coach pitch to live batting practice and, possibly, a return to the lineup before the calendar turns to October.
