Shohei Ohtani Tried to Steal a Base, Got TWO Injuries, and the Dodgers Are Holding Their Breath

Hold up, Emerald City! You gotta hear this. Shohei Ohtani, the phenom himself, had to leave the Dodgers' game against the Pittsburgh Pirates early yesterday, and it's because of a double whammy: knee AND hamstring inflammation! Seriously, the guy was playing lights out before he dipped in the seventh inning of an 8-6 win. This is the kind of early season news that makes any baseball fan, even us Mariners faithful, just cringe.

What Happened On The Basepaths?

So, the big question is, how did this even happen? Dodgers manager Dave Roberts believes Ohtani sustained the injury while trying to steal second base in the fourth inning at PNC Park. Can you believe it? The dude was trying to swipe a bag, doing what he does, and then BAM. Roberts was quick to tell reporters that he's not ruling Ohtani out for today's game against the Chicago White Sox. Ohtani's going to attempt some throws and take extra swings today just to see how his body reacts. Roberts was quoted saying, "We tried to be smart about it and get him out of the game. I talked to the trainer and he said he had a little behind the knee, a little hamstring, so just wanted to be smart and not push it." Smart move, honestly. You don't mess around with knee and hamstring stuff, especially not with a player like Ohtani.

Dude Was Still Dropping Bombs

Here's the kicker, Emerald City: before he even left the game, Ohtani was absolutely crushing it! He went 2 for 2 at the plate, ripping a 391-foot solo shot off Pirates starter Mitch Keller in the third inning. That bomb was his 13th homer of the season and it gave the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. He also racked up two runs scored, drew two walks, and grabbed an RBI. He even scored the Dodgers' fourth run later in the fourth inning, thanks to an RBI single from first baseman Freddie Freeman. This guy's just unreal, seriously. Through his first 67 appearances this season, he's batting .305 with 15 doubles, two triples, 40 RBIs, and six stolen bases. Oh, and he's leading the entire National League with a ridiculous .421 on-base percentage! And don't forget the pitching side of things: Ohtani has been dominant there too, with a 6-2 record and an insane 1.06 ERA through his first 11 starts. Although, gotta be real, he did give up a season-high six hits and four runs over 6 2/3 innings in Wednesday's 9-8 loss to the Pirates. But still, the numbers he's putting up across the board are just bonkers.

Dodgers Keep Rolling

This injury news is a total bummer, especially since the Dodgers are absolutely flying high. They've won four of their last six games and are sitting pretty with baseball's second-best record at 44-25, only behind the National League East leading Atlanta Braves. In the NL West, they've got a comfy eight-game lead over the San Diego Padres, who are sitting at 35-32. Losing Ohtani for any real time would be a massive blow to this juggernaut, no matter how good their record is. So, what's next for the Dodgers? They're scheduled to face the Chicago White Sox tonight at Rate Field, 7:40 p.m. EDT. Everyone's gonna be watching Ohtani to see if he even attempts those throws and swings Roberts mentioned. You just hope this is a super minor thing. The stakes are high for any team losing a player of this caliber, even with their killer record. Let's hope for a speedy recovery, because baseball is just better when everyone's healthy and on the field.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.