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After a scary moment during Game 2 of the World Series, Shohei Ohtani appears set for Game 3. With his Los Angeles Dodgers leading the best-of-seven series 2-0, the Dodgers will now have to contend with the New York Yankees in front of a hostile home crowd in the Bronx.
Ohtani left the game in the seventh inning on Saturday after suffering a shoulder injury on a slide attempt. Though the injury appeared at the time like it could be serious, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts comforted concerned fans in the postgame press conference following LA's 4-2 win.
“He has a left shoulder subluxation,” Roberts said. “We're gonna get some tests at some point tonight, tomorrow. And then we'll know more in the next couple days. But the strength was great, range of motion good. Once we get the scans we'll know more.”
Roberts confirmed that Ohtani would be ready for Game 3 on Sunday, the off-day in between games, telling ESPN's Karl Ravech that his phenom is “in a great spot and will be playing.”
With the Dodgers looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the World Series, here are our fearless Shohei Ohtani predictions for Monday night's game.
Dodgers slugger Shohei Ohtani will lead off the game with a home run
If we're going to be bold, let's be bold. Ohtani has yet to homer and is only 1-8 in the World Series so far. Yankees starter Clarke Schmidt doesn't give up a ton of home runs, but he pitches much better on the road and is sure to have his emotions flowing in the first inning at home. It's not out of the question that the extra adrenaline causes him to struggle to locate his pitches early, and if he misses in the strike zone, Ohtani will make him pay.
Ohtani is 1-3 in his career off of Schmidt, but that one hit was a homer. Coming off an MVP regular season, there's no question he can rise to the occasion, and the lights don't get brighter than they will on Monday.
Ohtani will pick up where he left off on the base paths
There's no reason Ohtani should let his Game 2 injury scare keep him from doing what he does best, particularly on Monday. Assuming Ohtani is truly good to go, the on-base machine (.390 OBP) should find himself on first at some point against Schmidt or one of the Yankees' stable of relievers. When he does, Ohtani is one of the best base stealers in the game. He notched 59 of them in 2024, becoming the first 50-50 hitter in baseball history.
The Yankees also made a lineup change that should help Ohtani get back on his horse. Aaron Boone swapped out the struggling Austin Wells for Jose Trevino in a risky move. Though Wells is only 4-41 at the plate during the postseason, he is significantly better at cutting down runners. Trevino ranked as one of the worst in baseball in pop time, while his exchange time and arm strength have both dipped from last year.
If Ohtani can get on base, he can run wild.
Fans will see a classic Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge moment
It's about time this series saw a showdown between two of the most exciting players in the game. In addition to being a prolific home run hitter, Aaron Judge also has an excellent outfield arm. It's not hard to envision a scenario where Ohtani, eager to prove he's healthy, tests that arm on the bases.
Since we're in the business of making these predictions fearless, let's say it happens at home plate. In basically a must-win game for the Yankees, expect the Dodgers to be aggressive in the early innings and try to put the Bombers away early. Maybe that manifests itself in Ohtani breaking for home to try and get an extra run on the board. Fans will finally get to see which superstar has the edge.
