The Dodgers have confirmed that Shohei Ohtani will indeed participate in game 3 of the World Series — despite partially dislocating his shoulder — but the real question remains, how effective will he actually be? TMZ Sports consulted with an orthopedic sports surgeon regarding his injury.
“Ohtani’s visible shoulder discomfort during the latest World Series match was identified as a shoulder subluxation,” revealed Dr. David Abbasi, who added, “This condition is not as critical as a complete shoulder dislocation.”
Shohei Ohtani is being escorted off the field by the trainer pic.twitter.com/Ueqe8VysNL
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2024
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To clarify, a subluxation refers to a situation where the humeral head of the shoulder joint partially dislocates from its socket, as opposed to a complete dislocation in which the ball fully detaches from the glenoid cavity.
Significantly, the injury occurred during the 7th inning as the 30-year-old Ohtani was thrown out while trying to steal second base. The star player was evidently in tremendous pain… leading to his removal from the game.
On Sunday, Dodgers’ head coach Dave Roberts declared that Shohei would likely make an appearance on Monday night at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx… following his treatment. Dr. Abbasi, who works in Florida, elaborated on the treatment protocol that would be implemented for Ohtani.
“He has received clearance to compete in the next game. Therefore, he will undergo continuous treatment and rehabilitation. The goal is to alleviate pain and inflammation while ensuring that he regains complete range of motion, ideally without discomfort, and also restores full strength.”
“If he feels strong enough to play, I see no reason why he wouldn’t be in [the lineup].”
Dave Roberts speaks to the media on Shohei Ohtani’s status for Game 3 pic.twitter.com/t6kmC4eZ5D
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 27, 2024
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According to Abbasi, medical professionals will take every measure to alleviate Ohtani’s pain.
“This could mean having a physical therapist available around the clock, administrating anti-inflammatory medication to help reduce swelling, and potentially providing corticosteroid injections into the shoulder to minimize pain while enabling him to maintain full mobility and strength.”
Game 3 is scheduled to kick off just after 5 PM PT, occurring less than 48 hours since Ohtani sustained his significant injury.