The two-way phenom exited Friday’s game against the San Diego Padres with biceps injury, with Miguel Rojas pinch-hitting for him in the seventh inning. Ohtani told reporters after the game that he felt something in his right biceps while swinging, describing his removal as “precautionary.”
While Ohtani reportedly added he felt he would be good to go Saturday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he would be off Saturday to be safe via Jack Harris of the California Post. Roberts added the team isn’t concerned about the severity of the injury, while Ohtani said it is something he felt two months ago and had to go away quickly.
As minor as it seems, any Ohtani injury is going to be cause for concern for the Dodgers until he’s back playing again. The development might also make the team a little more cautious about having him hit and pitch in the same game, something they shied away from earlier in the season out of fatigue concerns.
The good news for Los Angeles is that Ohtani’s removal didn’t get in the way of another win on Friday. With Ohtani pitching and batting leadoff, the Dodgers fell behind 3-0 early then took the lead for good on a Teoscar Hernandez grand slam in the seventh inning.
Ohtani went 0-for-3 at the plate while posting a quality start on the mound, with 7 hits, 3 earned runs, 2 walks and 9 strikeouts in 6 innings. His ERA is 1.79, which would be the second-best in the majors if he had enough innings to qualify for the title.
The win improved the Dodgers’ record to an MLB-best 58-31. With their win over the Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks losing Friday, their lead in the NL West is now 14 games, which matches every other division lead in MLB combined.
It was also the Dodgers’ second straight win over the Padres after trailing by multiple runs, having erased a six-run deficit the previous night.
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