Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Avoided 'Worst-Case Scenario' After Getting Hit by Line Drive

Despite an 8-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies on Wednesday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a disastrous situation when Shohei Ohtani took a line drive off his right leg from Orlando Arcia in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Speaking to reporters through an interpreter after the game, Ohtani said he avoided a "worst-case scenario" based on where the ball hit him.

"I'm glad it didn't hit the knee," Ohtani explained. "I think we avoided the worst-case scenario. So, I'm going to focus on the treatment."

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts also said he was "relieved" because the ball hit Ohtani square on the thigh, as opposed to the kneecap.

Another indication that it probably wasn't as bad as it could have been is that the Dodgers allowed Ohtani to finish the inning on the mound before Edgardo Henriquez came on in relief to start the fifth.

Perhaps the bigger concern for the Dodgers is this was Ohtani's second consecutive rough outing on the mound. He allowed five runs on nine hits with three strikeouts in four innings.

Ohtani has given up nine earned runs on 14 hits over 8.1 innings in his last two starts. His season ERA is up to 4.61 with more hits allowed (30) than innings pitched (27.1).

There were always going to be some growing pains as Ohtani works his way back into pitching form after not throwing in a game for 22 months after undergoing elbow surgery in September 2023.

Wednesday's game was also played in Colorado, where the environment is not going to be as friendly toward pitchers. If Ohtani continues to struggle on the mound, the Dodgers could have a big decision to make when the postseason starts.

Los Angeles' rotation is as healthy right now as it has been all season. Tyler Blake Snell and Emmett Sheehan returned from the injured list recently, giving the club as many as six starters to use.

Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow are locks to start a playoff game as long as they are healthy. Clayton Kershaw, who owns a 3.01 ERA in 15 starts, would presumably start a potential Game 4 in a postseason series.

That leaves Ohtani in a situation where he might not have to start, though Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior has left open the possibility they could use him out of the bullpen in October.

These are decisions that are still several weeks away and things tend to work themselves out, but Ohtani does have to start pitching better to force his way into the playoff rotation.

As long as Ohtani's bat is still in the lineup, the Dodgers still figure to be the favorite to get back to the World Series out of the National League.