Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Out vs. Padres with Back Injury After Exiting Previous Game

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will miss Sunday's series finale against the San Diego Padres due to tightness in his back.

The three-time All-Star was absent from the starting lineup, with Will Smith moving over to designated hitter and Austin Barnes doing the catching.

Ohtani was pulled from Saturday's 5-0 win over the Padres, with manager Dave Roberts telling reporters after the game his back had tightened up.

Roberts also described his level of concern as "minimal" but said he was leaning toward resting Ohtani given the quick turnaround between games. He followed up Sunday to reiterate he doesn't expect the back tightness to be anything too serious.

Kiké Hernández finished at DH, striking out in his lone plate appearance in the ninth inning.

Ohtani has been used exclusively at designated hitter to open 2024 thanks his elbow surgery last fall, a procedure that will in all likelihood preclude him from pitching at all this year.

You wouldn't have guessed based on his performance at the plate the 2023 American League MVP is dealing with any sort of elbow discomfort. Through 40 games, he's the MLB leader in hits (56), doubles (15) and slugging percentage (.667). His 2.6 WAR ranks third among position players at FanGraphs, which further underlines his value on offense since he isn't getting any credit for doing anything in the field.

Based on Roberts' comments, Dodgers fans shouldn't be reading much into Ohtani's back trouble. The 29-year-old should be making a quick return to the lineup.