Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani thinks he has made the right adjustments to his swing and is ready to deliver.
Shohei Ohtani’s injury status
Ohtani is “not 100%” in the postseason, manager Dave Roberts says, as the superstar nurses right-arm and left-knee soreness.
Still, with the postseason here, Ohtani will play every game, and the Dodgers will fully deploy him as a hitter unless he can’t physically play.
Ohtani, for his part, feels like he can deliver despite admitting that he will need to manage his injuries throughout the postseason.
“It feels really good overall. I do feel like my swing is in a better place. It feels smooth, and just a few little tweaks here and there and I’ll be ready for tomorrow,” Ohtani said to the media, including Dodgers Nation.
Can Shohei Ohtani produce in the postseason?
The biggest question hanging over Ohtani and the Dodgers is whether his level of play can be good enough to lead off and punish pitching mistakes.
At the very least, LA needs Ohtani to scare pitchers and get on base.
Ohtani went on the injured list over the last few weeks of the season and returned for a handful of games to prepare for the postseason.
His at-bats were good at first, but he ended up whiffing on a lot of pitches towards the final games. Given his limited playing time toward the end of the year, Ohtani admits he will need to adapt quickly if things start to lag.
“It’s relatively quick for me; I can figure out how I feel, especially in my setup,” Ohtani said.
“And so that’s something I was able to like kind of see, but I do want to get into the postseason, feel the atmosphere, and again kind of recalibrate what I have to.”
Ohtani’s swing speed was there throughout his return from the IL. If he can continue getting good rotation on his swing, mechanically, all will be fine.
The time for testing is over, and Ohtani will need to prove to doubters of his health and abilities that, even while compromised, he can still deliver and be productive.
