*This content was translated by AI.
Even the "God of Baseball," Shohei Ohtani (32, LA Dodgers), who played in Major League Baseball while fulfilling both pitcher and batter roles, is ultimately human. Unable to withstand the overload of two-way duties and a series of pains, he was finally placed on the injured list (IL). In response, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (54) expressed deep self-blame, saying, "He should have been rested sooner."
The Dodgers officially announced Ohtani's placement on the 15th-day injured list following the game against the Cincinnati Reds held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, on the 10th (Korean time). The effective date of the placement is retroactive to the 9th.
According to local media outlets including J.P. Hoerstma of U.S.-based "Sports Illustrated (SI)," Ohtani will remain in Los Angeles to focus on treatment and recovery rather than joining the road trip to Miami-Cincinnati. After sitting on the bench for four days, he made a highly anticipated return appearance, but his condition did not improve; instead, pain was confirmed again, leading to his eventual removal from the lineup.
In fact, Ohtani played in only one game over the past week. He started as designated hitter (DH) in the Reds game on the 8th, which served as his return stage, but went hitless in three at-bats. The Dodgers had hoped that by focusing solely on hitting, Ohtani could gradually regain his form. However, reality was harsh. Manager Roberts revealed after the game on the 8th that he heard Ohtani say following his at-bat, "It didn't feel good," indicating that his body was far from being back on track.
Signs of trouble with Ohtani were detected early on. He had been experiencing discomfort in his neck, right biceps, and left knee. In particular, analyses suggested that after receiving permission to resume pitching in early August to prepare for a mound return, his hitting metrics plummeted sharply. His performance while balancing pitching training resulted in a batting average of 0.198, four home runs, 10 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base plus slugging) of 0.689. Everyone interpreted this as the balance of "batter Ohtani" collapsing along with the perfect return of "pitcher Ohtani."
Ultimately, the forced attempt at a comeback ended in bitter regret. According to a report by Japanese baseball media Baseball Channel on the 13th, Manager Roberts recently said, "Looking back at the current situation, I should have put him on the IL last week. I deeply regret it." He further admitted his misjudgment, stating, "At that time, I thought four days of rest would be sufficient."
The absence of the two-way superstar is a clear blow to the Dodgers, who are aiming for a World Series championship. However, it appears they have belatedly decided that taking a definite break now is better than enduring with a questionable physical condition and risking both the team and the player collapsing. To achieve this season's ultimate goal for the Dodgers, "three-peat in the World Series," they have decided to put a pause on the "God of Baseball."
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*This content was translated by AI.
