Shohei Ohtani was placed on the 15-day injured list by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday due to lingering right arm, biceps, and left knee discomfort. The superstar designated hitter will remain in Los Angeles during an upcoming road trip to rest his arm, missing key games as the team targets a healthy return for the postseason.
The physical toll of a grueling Major League Baseball season has finally caught up with the most prominent two-way star in the sport. After attempting to play through weeks of physical setbacks, Shohei Ohtani was officially sidelined by the Dodgers following a Wednesday night victory against the Cincinnati Reds. The decision removes the four-time MVP from the lineup during a crucial stretch drive as the franchise locks down its divisional positioning.
Manager Dave Roberts Details the Threshold for the Injured List Decision
For weeks, the Dodgers attempted to manage Ohtani’s persistent soreness in his left knee and right biceps by granting him intermittent rest days. However, after taking swings on Monday, Ohtani reported that his right arm did not feel right, prompting the club to abandon its day-to-day management strategy in favor of a mandatory recovery window. Manager Dave Roberts acknowledged that the organization had tried to delay the inevitable.
“In talking to Shohei, the doctors, the training staff, it’s the right thing to do. We tried to kick the can as much as we could.”
Dave Roberts, Manager, Los Angeles Dodgers
The timing of the transaction means Ohtani is eligible to return during a three-game series against the San Diego Padres beginning September 22. While the club’s athletic trainers and medical staff work to calm his arm down, Ohtani will stay behind in Southern California rather than accompany the team on a seven-game East Coast road trip.
Josue De Paula Receives an Unprecedented Double-A Promotion
To fill Ohtani’s spot on the roster, the Dodgers engineered a historic promotion by calling up 21-year-old outfielder Josue De Paula directly from Double-A Tulsa. Front office history indicates the magnitude of the move: under the tenure of president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman starting in 2015, the franchise has not promoted a position player straight from Double-A to the major league roster.
De Paula arrives in the majors carrying stellar minor league numbers. Through 124 games in Tulsa, the top prospect batted .303 with an impressive .401 on-base percentage and a .547 slugging mark, accumulating 37 doubles, 27 home runs, and 104 runs batted in. The young Dominican Republic native is expected to make his major league debut as the designated hitter in Miami, stepping immediately into a high-profile lineup.
Performance Dip and the Balancing Act of Postseason Readiness
The physical wear began to register noticeably in Ohtani’s offensive production during his recent games. Over his final 13 contests before the shutdown, his numbers dropped to a .122 batting average with zero home runs and 21 strikeouts across 49 at-bats, reflecting the difficulties of playing through multi-site joint and muscular inflammation.
Even without their marquee star operating at full capacity, the Dodgers maintained stability on the field, winning seven consecutive games to build an 89-57 record. With the National League West division title nearly secured and a magic number of six games to clinch, the team possesses the divisional cushion necessary to prioritize long-term health over immediate box-score production.
When Ohtani does return from his 15-day stint, he will face a narrow window of roughly six regular-season games and live batting sessions to regain his timing before October baseball begins. Roberts noted that while the absence is far from ideal, ensuring that his swing is uncompromised remains the singular priority for a club eyeing a championship run.
