Los Angeles Dodgers fans held their breath on Wednesday night when Shohei Ohtani exited the mound in the middle of an at bat after throwing six straight balls. Something wasn't feeling right for Ohtani, and the Dodgers decided that it was best to bring in a new pitcher. However, Ohtani bats too, and he stayed in the game as the designated hitter. That was a good sign that the injury wasn't too serious, but it was definitely still a concern.
Shohei Ohtani was asked about the injury after the game, and it sounds like he is going to be just fine. He was dealing with some cramping issues, and that is why he stopped pitching. Ohtani plans to stay on his current pitching schedule.
“Shohei Ohtani said he felt cramping in his right hip since the 1st inning tonight,” David Vassegh said in a post. “He expects to make his next start.”
That is great news for the Dodgers, and the fan base can breath a sigh of relief. Their star player is going to be fine, and it looks like he will continue to pitch like usual.
Ohtani started off the season in a batting only role, but he made his first start on the mound back in June. He hasn't been able to pitch a lot of innings yet, but Ohtani is slowly making his way back to where he once was. So far, the most innings that Ohtani has pitched in an outing this year was three.
The Dodgers ended up losing on Wednesday night after the Cincinnati Reds got out to a quick start off of Ohtani. He came in to pitch the fourth inning, and he left with no outs and runners on the corners. He officially ended up surrendering two runs in three innings of work. The Reds went on to win the game 5-2.
Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers lost on Wednesday, but they are still one of the best teams in baseball. LA is currently 63-46 on the year, but there are a couple of other teams in the National League with a better record. The San Diego Padres are also creeping up on the Dodgers in the NL West as they are three games back of first place. LA is obviously in a great spot right now, but there is still a lot of work to do to get into a good position before the playoffs.
