"He Grabbed His Arm While Swinging, Then..." Shohei Ohtani Shockingly Placed on the 15-Day IL—Has a Major Crisis Really Arrived?

[Financial News] Shohei Ohtani (32, Los Angeles Dodgers), the “superstar” who had been trying to push beyond the limits of two-way play, ultimately could not avoid the grip of injury. He was sidelined after being placed on the 15-day injured list (IL) because of lingering right-arm pain that occurred while swinging. To fill Ohtani’s absence, the Dodgers made a bold move by becoming the first team in franchise history to promote a Double-A position player directly to the major leagues.
The Los Angeles Dodgers officially announced on the 10th, after their game against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, that they had decided to place Ohtani on the 15-day injured list.
Ohtani had been playing through a battered physical condition, dealing with pain in his right biceps, left knee, and neck. He missed four consecutive games before returning as the leadoff designated hitter against the Cincinnati Reds on the 8th, his first appearance in five games. He went 0-for-3 with one walk and two strikeouts.
The problem arose during his at-bat. Ohtani felt severe discomfort in his right arm while swinging during the game and told the training staff about it after the game he missed on the 9th. He then missed the games on both the 9th and 10th, meaning he had watched six of the Dodgers’ last seven games from the bench. After a detailed examination, Ohtani ultimately could not avoid being placed on the injured list.
Ohtani will not accompany the team on the seven-game road trip against the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds beginning on the 12th. He plans to remain in Los Angeles, take two to three days of complete rest, and then resume batting practice. The team expects him to return as early as the home game against the San Diego Padres on the 23rd.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts explained the decision, saying, "After extensive discussions involving Ohtani himself, the medical staff, and the training staff, this was the right decision to make."
Roberts added, "If the postseason were to begin tomorrow, Ohtani would obviously be in the lineup," and emphasized, "I am confident that he will return in 15 days fully ready to play," cautioning against reading too much into the move.
This season, Ohtani made 14 starts as a pitcher in the first half, posting an 8-2 record, a 1.79 ERA, and 95 strikeouts, but he declared an early shutdown from pitching because of knee pain. As a hitter, he also battled to a .277 batting average with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs, but this arm injury has forced him to take a pause. Attention is now focused on whether the Los Angeles Dodgers, charging toward a third consecutive World Series title, can minimize Ohtani’s absence and return to the postseason at full strength.
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