Stan Kroenke buys Angels from Arte Moreno in massive MLB deal
USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale breaks down Arte Moreno’s sale of the Los Angeles Angels to Stan Kroenke and what comes next for the franchise.
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to make Shohei Ohtani’s health a priority in order to help preserve him for a postseason run.
The Dodgers are looking to become the third franchise to secure a World Series three-peat.
Ohtani is expected to play a key role in trying to make that happen, but he will need to be healthy to do it.
Ohtani was not in the starting lineup as a designated hitter on Thursday, Sept. 3. It is the first time he has not been in the lineup since July 30.
Ohtani showed signs of discomfort in the Dodgers’ 8-6 home loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, Sept. 2. He went 0-for-4, but did walk and score a run.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani told the team he had discomfort in his biceps and neck during the game.
The Dodgers have not placed Ohtani on the injured list, but it hasn’t officially been ruled out either. The Dodgers will treat Ohtani’s status for the moment as “day-to-day.”
The manager said he will need to have further conversations with Ohtani before deciding on the next step.
“I think for me it’s just getting with him later today and seeing how his day is and how he responds to a day of rest and I think at that point we will make a decision as far as tomorrow,” Roberts said.
Ohtani is known for his two-way ability, but has been limited to just hitting for most of this season due to injuries.
Ohtani was working toward making his first pitching start since July 3 due to knee inflammation and biceps discomfort. Ohtani had a short bullpen session on Aug. 28, but it wasn’t enough to give the superstar the green light to get on the mound for a game.