Have Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez already locked up MVP honors?
Are MLB’s MVP races already decided? We break down Shohei Ohtani’s dominance, Yordan Alvarez’s Triple Crown chase, and whether anyone can catch them.
Sports Seriously
Shohei Ohtani is again out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for Friday’s series opener against the Washington Nationals amid lingering inflammation in his right bicep and soreness in his neck. It marks the first time all season that the Dodgers’ two-way superstar has missed back-to-back games.
Manager Dave Roberts described Ohtani’s off day in Thursday’s 3-2 walkoff win over the St. Louis Cardinals as a “spa day” that provided just as much of a mental break – Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in a loss Wednesday, Sept. 2 – as it did a physical one. With a second day off Friday, Sept. 4, Roberts mentioned he can possibly start moving his body without the pressure of having to prepare to hit leadoff.
“A lot of players, when they’re not feeling well physically, it adds to the toll mentally and emotionally,” Roberts told reporters pregame. “So I think that Shohei is just kind of like that, like most players.”
Tommy Edman will bat leadoff for the Dodgers against the Nationals, with Alex Call sliding into the DH spot.
Roberts said he’s in ongoing conversations with Ohtani, and the team’s training staff, to figure out just how many days Ohtani would need to return to his MVP form. A stint on the injured list, though unlikely, isn’t off the table. Right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller has been brought up from Triple-A Oklahoma City and is on the taxi squad in the event a roster move is needed.
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters Thursday, Sept. 3 that the hesitation behind putting Ohtani on the IL is the thought that there is more downside to having him not available at all for 10 days vs. just having him reset for a couple days. Roberts offered a slightly more nuanced perspective on Friday.
“The short answer is no,” Roberts said. “It’s not good to have that version of him. I’m sure what Brandon was saying is that in five or six or seven days, would the old version – the normal version, the regular version – of Shohei be there? We don’t know that answer, but just to kick the can is an option.”
Ohtani is batting just 2-for-23 with 11 strikeouts dating back to Aug. 27.
On the pitching side of things, Ohtani doesn’t appear to be any closer to returning either. He was originally set to make his first start since July 3 in a game against the Tigers in Detroit on Aug. 30, but he was scratched after he threw a 20-pitch bullpen session. According to Roberts, Ohtani has stopped throwing plyo balls “for probably a few days,” which would certainly delay his throwing progression.
On Thursday, Roberts was asked about the possibility that Ohtani may not pitch again this season.
“It’s an option,” he said.