LOS ANGELES (AP) — During the seventh inning of Saturday’s Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees, Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani suffered an injury to his left arm while attempting to steal second base. The exact nature of the injury is still unclear.
After being tagged out by shortstop Anthony Volpe, Ohtani was seen clutching his left forearm as he slid feet-first into the bag for the final out of the inning. He remained on the ground for several minutes before trainers attended to him and helped him off the field.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the injury may involve Ohtani’s left shoulder. This comes during a critical time as the Dodgers held a 4-1 lead at that point in the game.
Up to that moment, Ohtani had not made an impact offensively, finishing the game with no hits in three at-bats while drawing a walk. In the two games of the Fall Classic so far, he has managed just one hit in eight plate appearances and currently holds a batting average of .260 for this postseason, with three home runs and ten RBIs in his first playoff run in Major League Baseball.
Throughout his career since joining the majors in 2018, Ohtani has dealt with several injuries primarily related to pitching. Notably, he underwent significant procedures on his right elbow in both 2018 and the previous year. Although he has not pitched this season, he still made history as the first player in MLB to achieve at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season, showcasing his remarkable two-way talent.
In addition to his arm issues, Ohtani also underwent surgery on his left kneecap in September 2019 due to a congenital condition known as bipartite patella, where his kneecap did not fuse properly at birth. Earlier in his career, he missed the 2017 World Baseball Classic due to ankle surgery resulting from an injury he sustained in the 2016 Japan Series.
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