World Series 2024: Shohei Ohtani's shoulder injury casts a pall of uncertainty even after the Dodgers take a 2-0 lead in the series

LOS ANGELES – As Shohei Ohtani stormed toward second base, the crowd at Dodger Stadium braced for another electrifying moment on a night that had already provided plenty to cheer for home fans. Home runs by Tommy Edman, Teoscar Hernández and Freddie Freeman provided the excitement early in the Dodgers' 4-2 win in Game 2, and the Dodgers ran away with a three-run lead and safety Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound.

But run production had stopped midway through the inning. After drawing a walk against Clay Holmes in the bottom of the seventh, Ohtani decided to use his game-breaking speed to allow an insurance run with the dangerous Hernández at the plate with two outs. On the first pitch from Holmes to Hernández – a slider for a strike – Ohtani took off. A perfect throw by Yankees catcher Austin Wells was intercepted by second baseman Gleyber Torres and swung at Ohtani's leg just before he reached base. A clear theft.

And for a moment that was all. After the third out was recorded, Torres trotted off the field and the crowd sighed in disappointment that Ohtani's attempt to spark something had failed. It was also a strange sight that Dodgers fans aren't used to; Ohtani's rampant base-stealing, which became a staple of his historic 2024 campaign, appears to have disappeared in October, as he has yet to successfully capture a bag this month despite being caught twice. This was an odd development in itself after he stole 36 consecutive bases without being stopped to end the regular season.

But then, as the crowd began to settle into its pitter patter between innings: silence. Ohtani remained facedown on the ground before rolling onto his back while holding his left arm. A replay of his feet-first slide showed that Ohtani had tried to brace himself by sticking his left hand in the dirt as he reached the base, his arm hitting the ground at an awkward — and apparently painful — angle . Manager Dave Roberts pushed into second place along with a member of the training staff and Ohtani's interpreter, Will Ireton. The superstar eventually stood up and walked off the field, seemingly carefully holding onto his left arm as he descended into the dugout and through the tunnel.

The Japanese broadcast included an audio recording of Ohtani saying his shoulder had popped out, and Fox's Ken Rosenthal confirmed shortly afterward that it was some type of shoulder injury and not something that affected Ohtani's wrist, as some have suggested suspected his first reaction. Since he had just struck out and the Dodgers were heading into the eighth with a lead, Ohtani was unlikely to have another at-bat in the game, and since he was the designated hitter, he did not have to be officially removed from the game. Therefore, there was some uncertainty about the severity of Ohtani's injury for the rest of the game. The world would have to wait until after the finale for more information about the superstar's status – ideally from himself.

But Ohtani never spoke. A few minutes after the finale, he quickly left Dodger Stadium, walking right past the long line of media waiting to enter the Dodgers clubhouse in search of answers. He had already showered and was wearing street clothes with no visible wraps or ice on his left shoulder when he strolled by, smiling as he reached the elevator with a few Dodgers employees and security guards, without answering questions about what had happened or how his arm felt.

Instead, it was up to Roberts to provide some clarity during his post-game press conference, and the update he shared was certainly optimistic.

“He had a mild left shoulder subluxation,” Roberts said. “So we'll do some testing sometime tonight (or) tomorrow and then we'll know more in the next few days. But the power was great. The range of motion was good.”

Roberts said Ohtani will most likely have a shoulder MRI on Sunday.

When asked to elaborate on the moment, Roberts acknowledged that the 52,725 spectators at Dodger Stadium shared the initial panic. Nevertheless, he maintained his positive attitude.

“The scene, very worrying,” he said. “Of course it is worrying if one of your players is unavailable. But after the range of motion, the strength test, I felt a lot better about it.”

When asked about the possibility of continuing this World Series without the superstar, Roberts didn't hesitate.

“I expect him to be there,” he said. “I expect him to be in the lineup.”

After the Dodgers' clubhouse opened and Ohtani had already left the game, a customary postgame session ensued, with the media gathering at a few lockers and asking players for reaction – primarily to the team's huge win in Game 2 , but also on how they felt watching Ohtani leaves the game early under worrying circumstances. Teammates responded to questions about Ohtani's injury with variations of the same answer: They don't have more information than we do, but they recognize it was a worrying moment and are hoping for the best, and they too will find out more soon.

“We'll see how it is in the next few days,” Freddie Freeman said while answering another round of questions about his historic walk-off Grand Slam 24 hours earlier. “I really don't have any information, but when you have a group like that… They picked me up when I was down and we're going to try to do the same thing (for Ohtani).”

“You know how important Shohei is to this team,” Hernández said. “Hopefully he’s doing well and the day off tomorrow will help him get back on the field on Monday.”

In an already crowded room full of cameras and microphones, there was even less room to stand than usual as players' oversized gear bags lay strewn on the floor as they were being packed for an upcoming cross-country flight to New York City. While the uncertainty surrounding Ohtani's injury played a large role, the confidence in the room barely wavered as the team prepared to head east. The players exchanged enthusiastic words of affirmation as they changed into matching dark blue Dodgers tracksuits before making their way to the bus to the airport.

The Dodgers had played brilliantly the previous two days, jumping to a 2-0 series lead with standout performances from stars and supporting cast alike. While the exact status of their one-of-a-kind superstar isn't yet fully understood – more clarity could emerge Sunday night when the Dodgers practice at Yankee Stadium – there's certainly plenty to be excited about for Los Angeles.

The prospect of Ohtani — the sport's biggest star, who has waited years to reach this big stage — missing World Series games is ominous, to say the least. For now, we can only trust Robert's optimistic tone and wait for another content update.