Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is in a difficult place as the playoffs near. He was recently placed on the injured list after battling knee, arm and neck pain, factors that caused his performance to suffer significantly in the back part of the regular season. Not only has he essentially been shut down from pitching for the rest of the year — a frustrating decision, as he hoped to compete for a Cy Young Award this season — but he is now also sidelined from hitting.
The IL may be less than ideal, but it's likely necessary to get Ohtani back in shape before the playoffs start. Since Aug. 18, he's hitting .130 with more than three times as many strikeouts (22) as hits (seven). Across the board, his statistics have fallen off a cliff from his elite form for the first portion of the season, and it seems almost assured that Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, not Ohtani, will be the National League MVP this season.
The team hopes that he will recover a bit before the postseason and return closer to his MVP form, but one Dodgers insider is doubtful. Dylan Hernandez, columnist for the California Post, argued that the team is simply delaying the inevitable disappointment that's sure to come. He’s done for like all intents and purposes.” Hernandez didn't rule out Ohtani being used in very specific situations "like a Kirk Gibson type moment," but he asserted that there's "a decent chance" that he won't see the field at all again in 2026.
If you're a Dodgers fan and you're freaking out, don't worry. Hernandez's "Dodgers Post" co-host, Dodgers beat writer Jack Harris, had a diametrically opposed take.
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