Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who often keeps personal matters to himself, revealed that his family helped him through his injured list stint.
Where is Shohei Ohtani in his injury recovery?
Ohtani is known for wanting to play no matter what, pushing through injuries and aches to stay on the field and help his team.
“I do see it as an obligation as a professional to be on the field every single day,” Ohtani told the media, including Dodgers Nation.
With such a competitive drive, it can be hard for Ohtani to step aside and recover, even while battling injuries.
Ohtani’s right arm and left knee are both hurt, and according to Dave Roberts, Ohtani will not be “100%” all postseason long.
Yet, thanks to 15 days on the injured list and a week-long bye, Ohtani gets some time to rest and manage.
He thinks his swing is in a good spot compared to a few months ago.
“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.
Ohtani’s biggest injury battle
While time away from the game and the field helps him physically, the mental side of stepping away is admittedly hard, and Ohtani admits it would have been harder without his daughter and family supporting him.
“I’ve never been on the IL alone before, so if I had been by myself, I think I would’ve had a really tough time with all that extra time to overthink things,” Ohtani said in Japanese.
“Having family at home made a huge difference mentally. My daughter can be held with just the left hand, so I was holding her with my left and pushing through.”
Now the toughest part for Ohtani is over, and he will play every day for the Dodgers as the designated hitter and help the team.
