Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani Returns from Knee Inflammation

CHICAGO — It seems the worst-case scenario has been averted.

Shohei Ohtani made his return to the Dodgers’ lineup on Saturday, stepping in as the designated hitter after sitting out for two days due to inflammation in his left knee.

He had exited Thursday’s game against the Pirates early because of this knee issue and missed the following game against the White Sox in Chicago.

Manager Dave Roberts remained optimistic throughout, stating that Ohtani’s injury was minor. He believed it wasn’t related to the surgery Ohtani had in 2019 for a rare congenital condition.

However, the combination of being ejected from one game and missing another did stir some worries about a possible serious injury.

With Ohtani back on Saturday, at least for now, the team could rest a bit easier.

During Thursday’s game, there were no obvious signs of discomfort for Ohtani, such as swelling in the knee’s back, nor was there a specific incident that could explain the problem.

Roberts mentioned that the decision to pull Ohtani from the game was made “proactively.”

Even after clean imaging tests on Friday, the team chose to keep him out of that game as well.

After a loss on Friday at Leto Field, Roberts expressed his hopefulness for Ohtani’s return on Saturday. He also mentioned he expected Ohtani’s next scheduled pitching start to be on Wednesday.

Until Ohtani actually stepped back onto the field, though, those hopes seemed a tad uncertain.

Now, the Dodgers are crossing their fingers that Ohtani’s knee troubles are a thing of the past.