Shohei Ohtani is back in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup, and his return arrives just in time for the club to begin its final postseason tuneup.
The Dodgers activated Ohtani from the 15 day injured list before Wednesday night's home game against the San Diego Padres. He was listed as the designated hitter and moved into the second spot in the batting order behind Mookie Betts against left hander Robbie Ray.
Ohtani had not played since Sept. 7 while dealing with injuries to his left knee and right biceps, along with neck soreness. The Dodgers used the injured list stint to give him an extended period of rest rather than push their most important hitter through the final weeks of a division race they had already secured.
The immediate goal is not simply to get Ohtani back on the field. It is to give him enough competitive at bats to regain timing before the games become far less forgiving. Los Angeles has five regular season games remaining, and MLB.com reported that Ohtani is expected to play in all five.
A different look at the top of the order
The Dodgers did not immediately return Ohtani to his customary leadoff role. Betts was placed first against Ray, with Ohtani batting second. Manager Dave Roberts said the alignment could become a matchup based option, with Betts leading off against left handed pitching and Ohtani returning to the top against right handers.
That choice gives Los Angeles another lineup lever for October. Betts offers contact and on base ability in front of Ohtani, while Ohtani can still receive a first inning plate appearance and hit with a runner potentially aboard. The structure could change again, but the Dodgers now have their two most dangerous table setters together at the top.
Ohtani returns with a .277 batting average, a .380 on base percentage and a .522 slugging percentage. He leads the team with 30 home runs and has driven in 80 runs across 130 games. Those season totals remain imposing, though his last stretch before the injured list showed why the Dodgers were willing to prioritize recovery. He went 6 for 49 over his final 13 appearances without a home run or an RBI.
His role is limited to hitting
Ohtani will return only as a hitter. He made 14 starts on the mound this season and went 8 and 2 with a 1.79 ERA, 95 strikeouts and 26 walks across 85 and two thirds innings. He has not pitched since July 3 and is not expected to take the mound again this year.
That removes any uncertainty about how the Dodgers plan to use him in October. His job is to stabilize the heart of the order and rediscover the offensive form that produced a .902 OPS before the injured list stint.
Los Angeles stayed strong during his absence, losing only three times in the 17 games he missed before Wednesday. That cushion allowed the club to treat the final weeks as preparation rather than emergency. Now the priority shifts from protecting Ohtani to getting him ready for postseason pitching.
Top prospect Josue De Paula was optioned to Triple A Oklahoma City as the corresponding roster move. De Paula hit .323 with one home run and seven RBIs in 11 major league games, offering the Dodgers a glimpse of their future while Ohtani recovered.
The larger October picture is straightforward. Los Angeles already knew it could win without Ohtani for stretches. The defending champions are far more dangerous with him batting near the top of the order, and the final five games provide a short but valuable runway before every plate appearance carries postseason weight.