Yankees Looking to Climb Out of Deep Hole as Dodgers Await Ohtani Injury Results

The New York Yankees may have caught a significant competitive break as a result of an injury to the Dodgers' superstar slugger.

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 two of the 2024 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees have a steep climb as they attempt to claw their way back from a 2-0 deficit to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

After dropping the first two games of the Fall Classic at Dodger Stadium, the series will now shift back to the Bronx for at least two more games, beginning on Monday.

Whether the Dodgers have superstar NL MVP favorite DH Shohei Ohtani for the remainder of the series remains to be seen.

As Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters, Ohtani suffered a left shoulder subluxation, which is a partial dislocation, while sliding into second base on a stolen base attempt in the seventh inning.

Dave Roberts says that Shohei Ohtani suffered a left shoulder subluxation and the Dodgers are "encouraged" by his strength and range of motion.

Ohtani will receive testing tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/RTbh7ycJpM

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 27, 2024

Per Roberts, Ohtani was being sent for testing on his shoulder, but the Dodgers were "encouraged" with their star's range of motion and strength following his injury.

Ohtani went just 1-for-8 in the first two games of the series, however, the lefty swinger had a key double in Game 1 that ultimately led to a run. He's also arguably the best hitter on the planet, so his loss would be significant as the Dodgers look to take two more wins from the Yankees to capture a title.

For Ohtani, it may come down to pain tolerance/management. That being said, Roberts and the Dodgers sounded optimistic about his availability moving forward in the series.

The Yankees will look to right-handed starter Clarke Schmidt in Game 3 at Yankee Stadium on Monday as they hope to get in the win column and draw closer. New York just needs one win to insure that three games will be played in the Bronx this week.

The Bronx Bombers are also counting on their fans to help ignite some energy with the series moving back home. The Yankees need more out of their offense, as they scored just five runs total in Games 1 and 2.