Two hits in 26 at-bats, and the Dodgers finally blinked
A .077 average over seven games. That is what Shohei Ohtani had been carrying into the Dodgers clubhouse before Los Angeles decided enough was enough. Dave Roberts confirmed the injured list move on Thursday, minutes after his team had buried Cincinnati 14-1. Left knee, right biceps, both needing attention.
The two-way designation costs Ohtani five extra days. Pitchers on the IL sit 15 days rather than the standard 10, and because his last appearance came on Monday, September 23 is the earliest he can walk back onto a field.
Roberts did not hedge on it. “If this were a playoff game tomorrow, he would be in the line-up,” the manager said. “Right now, we’re talking about two weeks, 14 days. I think that’s a pretty significant chunk of time.”
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An MVP season that stopped producing in September
No extra-base hits. No RBIs. Six days off in the previous seven, which was already the coaching staff quietly admitting something was wrong before the paperwork made it official.
Zoom out and the season still looks like the work of a candidate for the award he has won four times: .277, a .380 on-base percentage, .522 slugging, 30 home runs, 80 RBIs across 130 games. Those are the numbers of a player nobody wants sitting in street clothes in late September.
The mound is a separate problem. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3, the same knee to blame. He restarted a throwing program, then told reporters on Monday he would “probably not” pitch again this year and wanted his energy going into hitting instead. The 2026 pitching line: 14 starts, 8 wins, 2 losses, a 1.79 ERA, 95 strikeouts over 85 and two-thirds innings.
Josue De Paula gets the call at 21
Los Angeles is not filling the roster spot with a journeyman. Josue De Paula is coming up from Double-A Tulsa, and MLB Pipeline rates him the No. 6 prospect in baseball. He meets the club in Miami on Friday.
Tulsa saw plenty: a .303 average, a .948 OPS, 27 home runs, 104 RBIs, 106 runs scored and 31 stolen bases in 124 games. The Dodgers are not asking him to be Ohtani. They are asking him to hold a lineup spot for a fortnight.
Roberts has October on his mind and made no secret of it. “Will he be 100 percent? Probably not. But with the time we’re taking now, he’ll be in a decent spot to finish the season and beyond.” Two weeks of regular season traded for a hitter who can actually swing when the bracket starts. That is the bet.
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