Shohei Ohtani will play for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, manager Dave Roberts told ESPN.
Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder sliding into second base when he was caught stealing, ending the seventh inning of Saturday night’s 4-2 victory in Game 2 in Los Angeles.
But the superstar slugger has been cleared to play Monday night, Roberts told ESPN in a text message on Sunday. Roberts was scheduled to speak to the media later Sunday at Yankee Stadium.
Los Angeles has a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Series and is two wins away from their second championship in five years.
Roberts said Saturday evening that Ohtani “had a minor subluxation of the left shoulder” and would undergo imaging testing Saturday night or Sunday.
Ohtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the seventh on a feet-first slide. He lay with the bag for a few minutes before being attended to by trainers and leaving the field.
Roberts said after the game that he was encouraged that Ohtani had good strength and range of motion in the shoulder, but that the team needed to see the results of his scans before knowing his status.
The Japanese slugger – and presumptive National League MVP – was 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 2. He is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic and is hitting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the majors.
Ohtani was one of the few players on the Dodgers roster to get through the season without a major injury. The pitching staff has been ravaged by injuries, with nearly every member of the starting rotation spending time on the injured list.
Among position players, Mookie Betts was out nearly two months due to a broken left hand, and Max Muncy was out nearly half the season due to a right oblique strain. Freddie Freeman is playing in the postseason with a severely sprained right ankle.
Ohani did not pitch this year, but became the first player in Major League history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.
