Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was helped off the field with a trainer after he hurt himself on a stolen-base attempt during the bottom of the seventh inning of World Series Game 2 on Saturday versus the New York Yankees. Fox’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Ohtani seemingly injured his shoulder.
The extent of Ohtani’s injury is unknown at this point, meaning that it’s also unclear what his status is for the remainder of the World Series. Sunday will serve as a travel day before the teams reconvene on Monday in New York for Game 3. It’s worth pointing out that Ohtani was in the lineup as the designated hitter, and that his spot was not due up again in the game. As such, Ohtani wasn’t even technically removed from the game. At the same time, it’s reasonable to assume he’s undergoing further examination in the clubhouse.
Here’s a look at the play in question:
Ohtani, 30, is the favorite to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award after an historic season that saw him become the first player in Major League Baseball history to hit more than 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases in the same season. Overall, he batted .310/.390/.646 (190 OPS+) with 54 home runs, 130 runs batted in, and 59 stolen bases (on 63 attempts). His contributions were worth an estimated 9.2 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference’s calculations.
Ohtani, the sport’s unique two-way star, has not pitched this season after undergoing elbow surgery on his throwing arm last fall. Ohtani is a right-handed thrower, meaning that this injury would not have any relation to that operation or his subsequent recovery. As it stands, he’s not expected to pitch again until the start of the 2025 campaign.
