Dodgers Poised for Postseason: Ohtani's Injury Update

Everyone expects the Los Angeles Dodgers to be playing postseason baseball. In fact, very likely they win the division. Whether they get a first round bye, that'll be determined over the league's final month of games. But what we do know at this point, Tom, is that the pitching future, immediate future of Shohei Otani, very much in question at this point. And it's not even a lower leg injury anymore. It does appear to be some sort of soreness with the arm. Dave Roberts told reporters on Saturday that he would never throw a pitcher who is feeling what he is feeling. By the way, they don't think that this is serious. And it could be the kind of thing that in a month from now we see him back getting ready to pitch in the postseason. I would doubt that, though, at this point. And what certainly has happened is that the major move in all of the odds boards after Pete Crow Armstrong's three home runs, they've now made PCA the heavy favorite to win the MVP, which I've stated many times I do not agree with. I still think Shohei Otani, what those pitching stats from April, May and June just don't count. Are we just throwing those away? I got news for you. If Otani Tom did not pitch in April, May and June and was pitching the way that he did in those three months in the final three months, Otani would be the MVP. It is ridiculous, but I'm not taking anything away from PCA. I'm going to see him in person when he plays Miami next week. He has been the best position player in all of baseball this season. I still think the whole notion is ridiculous. It's more about timing to me than anything else. PCA is going to win the NL MVP, and I'm just going to have to live with it. We saw it last year when Otani didn't start the year on the mound, and then he starts pitching halfway through the season, whatever it was, and he was electric then. As for the actual issue that Otani is facing with the arm, this is something I've said for months at this point where since Otani got hurt and wasn't pitching, where I believe that Otani wants to pitch, and Otani and his people are telling the Dodgers, like, yeah, you signed him to pitch. You signed him to do both. He's going to pitch. But meanwhile, the Dodgers are a little bit hesitant on that, and they don't want him to pitch. They don't want him rushing out there on the mound or rushing to get back on the mound. As Dave Roberts said, you never put a pitcher out there. And, you know, frankly, all the reports that I've read, and as you alluded to, like, this isn't some major issue for Otani. If he just takes another couple of weeks off and doesn't force himself back on the mound, he could actually be ready for the postseason. Whether or not he actually pitches during the postseason with this bicep issue or whatever it is, he should be fine. But again, I think this is, Dave just got to go to Otani, like, we got to play the long game here. Like, we can win another World Series. We don't need to push you out on the mound at the end of August. Let's give it a couple more weeks, and if we can get you one more start at the end of September, he can be an opener come the postseason.