The Dodgers Got Shohei Ohtani Back. The Bat Hasn't Come With Him

Shohei Ohtani was activated from the injured list and back in the Dodgers' lineup Wednesday against the Padres, going 1-for-4 with a walk and two strikeouts. It was the first time he'd appeared in a game since Sept. 7, ending a stint that started with right biceps inflammation and included lingering soreness in his left knee.

The return is real news. The production, so far, is not.

A cold month meets a shrinking calendar

Ohtani's season line still reads like an MVP case: a .277 average, 30 home runs, 80 RBIs, 89 runs scored, 81 walks and a .901 OPS across 135 games. But the last 30 days tell a different story — a .150 average, a .244 on-base percentage and a .225 slugging mark in 10 games, with zero home runs and a 36.2 percent strikeout rate over 47 plate appearances. That's a hitter who has spent a month searching, and the Dodgers now have five regular-season games left for him to find it.

That matters because of what's at stake beyond the division. Los Angeles clinched the NL West on Thursday with an 8-2 win over Cincinnati, its fifth straight division title and 13th in the past 14 seasons, tying a record with a 14th consecutive playoff berth. At 97-61, the Dodgers sit behind only Milwaukee (99-59) for the NL's best record, which keeps a top-two seed and a first-round bye in play. The margin for rounding into form is measured in days, not weeks.

The supporting cast is carrying the load right now

If Ohtani's bat is lagging, the rest of the roster has picked up the slack. Over the last 10 games the Dodgers are 7-3 with a .911 OPS and a 2.85 team ERA, and their September surge — 14-5 in the month — has quieted the late-summer lull that has become an annual talking point.

The pitching picture, though, comes with its own questions. Blake Snell owns a 1.86 ERA and 52 strikeouts in 38.2 innings, but he exited his Sept. 16 start after just one inning, and the groin issue has complicated how the Dodgers map out October. Roki Sasaki, who posted a 4.56 ERA over 23 starts, is now being evaluated in a relief role — a signal that the club is hunting for bullpen answers behind a unit with a 3.67 ERA, 19 saves and six blown saves. Tyler Glasnow, Thursday night's starter, has been effective when available: a 3.46 ERA with 87 strikeouts in 67.2 innings.

Andy Pages returning from the IL before this Padres series solidifies the defense, and Dalton Rushing landing on the 10-day IL thins the depth behind the plate. Eric Lauer is done for the season.

Tonight's series finale frames the week

San Diego arrives at Dodger Stadium sitting at 88-70 and still sorting out its own wild-card positioning. The head-to-head ledger belongs to Los Angeles — 7-3 with a 53-32 run advantage in 10 meetings — and the market reflects that: the Dodgers opened around -169 on the moneyline and have moved to roughly -174 to -175 at DraftKings and FanDuel, with the total steady at 7.5. Nick Pivetta gets the ball for the Padres.

None of that answers the only question that will define the Dodgers' October. Ohtani is on the roster. Whether his timing is on the plane with him is the story of the final week.