Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke after the team’s loss to the Chicago White Sox and relayed a positive message about Shohei Ohtani.
Compared to the rest of the team, Ohtani was the last one to arrive in Chicago, appearing in a clean outfit and with his suitcase. He did not put on his baseball uniform for Friday, June 12th’s game against the White Sox.
Roberts had said that Ohtani would likely play on Friday, but the Dodgers ended up playing it safe and holding out their star player to keep him upright.
There was no specific play that led to Ohtani getting hurt — rather, it was just a result of an accumulation of pain.
His injury is officially left knee inflammation, the same knee that he had surgery on six years ago.
After Friday’s game, Roberts provided a more detailed update on what Ohtani did upon landing and on his return timeline.
“He just got treated, so talking to the training staff just right now, I’m optimistic, but I want to get him through tonight, get him here, go through some semblance of a workout, getting his body ready, and then we’ll go from there,” Roberts said of Ohtani.
The skipper was asked directly if he was optimistic about Ohtani’s status for Saturday, and Roberts gave a firm “yes.”
Shohei Ohtani’s knee scan results
The Dodgers sent Ohtani for a scan on his left knee and found no structural damage, a huge sigh of relief as it would have led to a more serious outlook.
“It’s just the normal wear and tear,” Roberts said. “I thought initially it was a hamstring. It was the knee. So, it just kind of got upset, swelled up a little bit.
“So we were kind of getting ahead of it. (It was) smart getting him out of the game which I think was prudent. And then with the travel, it’s just to give him an extra day.
“My hope is that he’s in there tomorrow. But if not, he’ll need another day. But it’s something that I think we can manage. Not an IL situation.”
