Shohei Ohtani's First Trip to the IL Arrived With the Dodgers' October Already in View

For the first time in his Dodgers career, Shohei Ohtani is on the injured list. Los Angeles placed the two-way star on the 15-day IL with biceps inflammation, and because he qualifies as a two-way player, he must serve 15 days rather than the standard 10. That timing matters: Ohtani isn't eligible to return until the Dodgers' final five games of the regular season.

The move didn't come out of nowhere. Ohtani had been visibly compromised at the plate, and his recent production confirms it. Over his last 14 games and 66 plate appearances, he hit .130 with one home run, two RBIs, a .266 on-base percentage and a .371 OPS while striking out 33.3 percent of the time. That's a 30-day window in which arguably the best hitter alive posted a slugging percentage lower than most utility infielders' on-base marks. The season-long line — .277/.380/.902 with 30 homers, 80 RBIs and 11 steals in 134 games — shows the player the Dodgers are waiting on. The recent form shows why they finally stopped waiting.

The Criticism Is Loud, and the Dodgers Are Acknowledging It

The delay is the story beyond the diagnosis. Ohtani wasn't placed on the IL in July or August despite lingering issues, and by the time the Dodgers pulled the plug, the baseball press had turned on the process. Yahoo Sports ran a piece headlined "'He's not supernatural,'" examining whether the club compromised Ohtani's playoff readiness by waiting. The Athletic's verdict was blunter still: "Who's to blame in the Shohei Ohtani injury saga? Everyone." Manager Dave Roberts didn't dodge it, telling reporters, "I think if we look right now, here today, I would love to go back and put him on the IL."

That's a rare public admission from a club that has spent three years managing Ohtani's workload conservatively. The encouraging news is that he has resumed baseball activity, hitting off a tee on Sept. 15. Roberts stopped short of a firm timeline but expressed confidence Ohtani can return before the postseason.

The Ripple Effects Are Already Showing

Ohtani's absence forced Los Angeles to get creative, and the answer was its top farmhand. The Dodgers called up outfielder Josue De Paula directly from Double-A — a prospect ranked No. 20 in baseball by Keith Law entering the season — and slotted him at designated hitter in a 6-2 win over Miami. De Paula's debut was described as poised, and he gives the lineup a left-handed bat while Freddie Freeman manages his own situation.

Freeman is the second front. He's hitting .293/.370/.814 with 16 home runs and 66 RBIs in 144 games, but right knee soreness cost him multiple starts, and Roberts has said putting Freeman on the IL to rest him for October "isn't an option." He returned to the lineup Saturday. How the Dodgers divvy up Freeman's workload over the final two weeks may matter more than any single result.

The Broader Picture Is Still Rosy

None of this is a crisis in the standings. The Dodgers are 92-60 with a plus-173 run differential and clinched their 14th consecutive playoff berth on Sept. 14, tying the 1991-2005 Braves for the longest streak in MLB history. Their magic number to secure the NL West sat at three entering the week. The pitching has carried them — a 3.79 team ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 3.20 ERA with 10.4 strikeouts per nine over the last 10 games. The bullpen owns a 3.67 ERA.

What all of this really decides is seeding and health. The Dodgers and Braves are jockeying for the National League's second seed, and the difference between the No. 1 and No. 2 spot reshapes the bracket. Los Angeles is a -172 road favorite Thursday at Cincinnati with a 9.5 total — the market still treats this club as an elite team even short-handed.

The question October will answer: was 15 days enough, or 15 days too late?