LOS ANGELES -- For the first time all season, the Dodgers penciled in the exact nine-man lineup they envisioned when building their roster. But as Shohei Ohtani returned from the injured list on Wednesday night in a 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres, the primary focus wasn't on immediate perfection -- it was on establishing a sustainable baseline for October.
Activated prior to Wednesday’s game after a 15-day IL stint to address lingering right biceps discomfort and left knee soreness, Ohtani stepped back into his designated hitter role. Batting second for the first time this year, he provided an early spark with a single to right field in his first plate appearance, followed by a walk in the third inning.
Ohtani finished his night 1-for-4 with two strikeouts. His biggest spot of the night came in the bottom of the fourth inning with the Dodgers trailing by two. With the bases loaded and two outs, Ohtani worked a full count against Padres reliever David Morgan before striking out swinging on the payoff pitch, snuffing out the Dodgers' best rally of the night.
Despite the high-leverage strikeout, the early returns provided the Dodgers with the one indicator they needed most: health.
Unlike early September -- when wincing and a compromised swing path signaled trouble -- Ohtani swung with full intent and moved without discomfort.
"He certainly feels way better with the rest," Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said pregame. "The biggest thing is get him as many at-bats as we can, some rhythm and timing. Now, whether that's all five or four of five, we'll get a sense based on workload and how he's feeling. I think just getting as many at-bats as he can and that rhythm and timing back before we head into October is going to be really helpful. But the most important thing is how much better he feels.”