Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was helped off the field with a trainer after suffering a shoulder injury on a stolen-base attempt during the bottom of the seventh inning of World Series Game 2 on Saturday against the New York Yankees. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Ohtani suffered a subluxation of his left shoulder, but the team is “encouraged” by Ohtani’s range of motion and strength.
Ohtani’s spot in the lineup did not come up again, so he was never technically pulled from the game as the Dodgers held on for a 4-2 win that gave them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Ohtani left Dodger Stadium before talking to the media.
The extent of Ohtani’s injury is unknown at this point — he’s undergoing further testing, per Roberts — 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.
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.
