Shohei Ohtani reaches twice in first game back

Ohtani’s two outs tonight were both barrels traveling a projected 382 and 372 feet. The RBI double was hit 106.8 mph to the gap in left center off a 102.6-mph fastball from Mason Miller in the ninth. That makes for a very encouraging night, even if he didn’t totally fill up the box score in his second game back from the IL.

Ohtani returns to Los Angeles’ lineup for Wednesday’s showdown against the Padres following a minimum stint on the injured list due to ongoing biceps and knee issues. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters earlier this week that Ohtani is feeling much better following the extra time off, which is an extremely positive development heading into the postseason where his formidable bat is indispensable. The 32-year-old generational talent has still managed to hit .277/.380/.522 with 89 runs scored, 30 homers, 80 RBI and 11 steals in 596 plate appearances during an injury-plagued season.

Ohtani will make his return to Los Angeles’ lineup following a minimum stint on the injured list due to ongoing biceps and knee issues. The 32-year-old generational talent is expected to play in each of their final five games against the Padres and Giants, respectively, to close out the regular season. He’s expected to lead off against right-handed starters with Mookie Betts getting the nod against lefties, a trend that will likely continue into the postseason.

Roberts also noted that the plan will be for him to play in every game once he does return, as he needs the at-bats to get ready for the postseason. The superstar slugger has been hitting off of the Trajekt machine and running the bases without issue over the weekend and it looks increasingly likely that he’ll be activated from the injured list when first eligible on Wednesday.

Ohtani is eligible to return Wednesday, and it looks like that’ll be the day. He’s currently on the IL with knee and biceps injuries, but he was able to hit off a Trajekt machine and run the bases on the field Saturday.

Ohtani, who is sidelined with biceps and knee issues, resumed hitting earlier this week and swung against a Trajekt machine today. He’s eligible to come off the IL on Wednesday, though Friday might be a more realistic return date.

When pressed to see how many at-bats he’s expected to receive before the postseason, Friedman just shrugged his shoulders. It sounds like the Dodgers want to get him a handful of at-bats next weekend, if possible, but their priority is to have him healthy and ready to go for the start of the postseason.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters the hope is that Ohtani will return before the conclusion of the regular season. The 32-year-old generational talent is obviously critical to Los Angeles’ postseason aspirations as they chase their third consecutive World Series title. There should be a clearer idea of his exact return timeline as the week progresses and Ohtani starts to ramp up his hitting progression.

Ohtani figures to return to Los Angeles for the final week of the regular season after hitting the shelf with ongoing knee and biceps issues last week. However, there isn’t anything close to an official timeline coming from the organization at this juncture. It’ll be top prospect Josue De Paula continuing to handle DH in his absence. There should be a definitive return timetable for Ohtani at some point later this week after he ramps up a hitting progression.

Even with the backdated stint on the injured list, the earliest that the superstar slugger will be able to return is September 23. Dodgers’ top prospect Josue De Paula was promoted from Double-A Tulsa to take Ohtani’s place on the Dodgers’ active roster on Friday.