Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Officially in World Series Lineup Following Injury Scare

Shohei Ohtani suffered a left shoulder subluxation in Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night, but the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar is set to bat leadoff against the New York Yankees in Game 3 on Monday.

Oct 26, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) walks off the field after injuring his shoulder against the New York Yankees in the seventh inning for Game 2 of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Shohei Ohtani is batting leadoff for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series, according to the team's official lineup card.

Ohtani left Game 2 early after suffering a left shoulder subluxation, leading to plenty of speculation that he could miss the rest of the Fall Classic. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday, though, that he expected Ohtani to be ready to go for Game 3, and that timeline appears not to have changed.

So, even if he will need to undergo surgery in the offseason, Ohtani has been cleared to return less than 48 hours after partially dislocating his shoulder.

Ohtani is batting .260 with three home runs, 10 RBI, two stolen bases and an .863 OPS so far this postseason, although he is only 1-for-8 with a walk and a double in the World Series. Still, Los Angeles leads New York 2-0, and can take a commanding three-game lead in the Bronx on Monday.

The 30-year-old superstar hit .310 with 54 home runs, 130 RBI, 59 stolen bases, a 1.036 OPS and a 9.2 WAR in the regular season. Ohtani is heavily favored to win MVP honors for the third time, and that's despite the elbow surgery that prevented him from pitching.

Here is the rest of the Dodgers' lineup for Game 3, which has been shaken up a bit outside the top four spots:

1. Shohei Ohtani, DH
2. Mookie Betts, RF
3. Freddie Freeman, 1B
4. Teoscar Hernández, LF
5. Max Muncy, 3B
6. Will Smith, C
7. Gavin Lux, 2B
8. Kiké Hernández, CF
9. Tommy Edman, SS
SP: Walker Buehler, RHP

First pitch from Yankee Stadium is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET.

Tonight’s #WorldSeries Game 3 Dodgers lineup at Yankees: pic.twitter.com/KzersBGjja

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) October 28, 2024

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