LOS ANGELES – A growing flurry of whispers spread through the underground corridors beneath Dodger Stadium. Each member of the media, once informed of the unexpected, passed the news on to the next person they saw. The buzz turned to chatter as reporters returned to the cramped press conference room.
“Shohei is coming.”
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When Ohtani actually entered the room, followed by members of Dodgers PR and his interpreter, Will Ireton, the din faded to silence in an instant, like the shutdown of a transistor radio.
The Dodgers superstar rarely speaks to the media. During the regular season, the established routine was for Ohtani to answer about eight questions after games in which he pitched. After his bilateral exploits ceased in early July, he was only made available on a few occasions.
However, these are not regular circumstances.
The four-time MVP, after an injury-plagued second half, is currently just a sketch of his best self. In six postseason games, Ohtani is a disastrous 3-for-20 with zero extra-base hits and seven strikeouts. Through it all, the sport’s most famous figure seemed baffled, hurt, compromised, out of sync. His disappearing act is a big reason why the two-time defending World Series champions find themselves down 0-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLCS.
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Ohtani’s extended schneid, according to a report from The Athletic after Game 2, sparked concern among Dodgers executives about the possibility of sitting Ohtani for Game 3. A day off, perhaps, could provide a piece of healing for Ohtani’s aching body.
But before the team’s practice Tuesday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani would indeed be in the lineup for Game 3 on Wednesday.
“I talked to Sho, had a great conversation,” Roberts proclaimed. “He’s adamant he feels good enough to be there. He’s about to find something with his swing. I feel good. He wants to be there and help us win a game and win a championship.”
Ohtani, always reluctant to reveal much, echoed this optimism.
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“The symptoms have subsided a lot, especially (compared to) when I was on IL, spending that time just being able to reduce the symptoms,” he explained via Ireton.
Instead of attributing his recent underperformance to nagging injuries or physical issues, Ohtani called attention to his swing mechanics.
“The symptoms shouldn’t be the reason I can’t hit,” insisted Ohtani, who didn’t hit, almost certainly because of the symptoms.
This feeling seems somewhat detached from reality. Ohtani’s manager, for example, had this to say about the superstar’s physical condition when asked for a specific medical diagnosis.
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“That’s it,” Roberts said. “It’s the upper body, it’s the knee, and it’s just not perfect. He’s not. But in his words, he’s ready to go.”
The entire scene was a bizarre and fitting climax to Ohtani’s injury saga in 2026. A lack of clear communication between the player and the team likely exacerbated his various ailments earlier in the year. After his pitch was hung, Ohtani remained adamant about trying to return to the mound. The Dodgers, given Ohtani’s greatness, let the face of the franchise do what he wanted. In doing so, however, they may have failed to protect Ohtani from himself, from his own physical limitations.
Although no one sympathized with the richest and most dominant organization in the game, the Dodgers found themselves in a tough situation. Ask Shohei to prioritize load management, and you risk ticking off the most important player in baseball history, a man who effectively cut his salary to lead a dynasty. Let Ohtani dictate his own path and you risk getting hurt. Los Angeles picked door No. 2, and that could screw up their season.
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Maybe Ohtani is right, and he’s about to rediscover magic. Maybe he’ll reappear in Game 3, send Dodger Stadium into pandemonium and lead the club to a three-peat. He conjured greater miracles.
That’s the problem with miracles: they defy the laws of nature. For most of his baseball playing life, Ohtani attempted and succeeded in doing just that. Father Time, however, is undefeated. Age will eventually reduce Ohtani; if not now, then someday in the future.
If he doesn’t accept that reality, that moment could come sooner than anyone in Dodger blue wants.
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