Despite shoulder injury, Shohei Ohtani to play for Dodgers in Game 3 of World Series

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani will play for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, manager Dave Roberts told ESPN.

Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder sliding into second base when he was caught stealing to end the seventh inning of Saturday night’s 4-2 victory in Game 2 at Los Angeles.

But the superstar slugger has been cleared to play Monday night, Roberts told ESPN in a text message Sunday. Roberts was set to speak to media at Yankee Stadium later Sunday.

Los Angeles holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Series and is two wins shy of its second championship in five years.

Roberts said on Saturday night that Ohtani “had a little left shoulder subluxation” and would get image testing either Saturday night or Sunday.

Ohtani clutched his left forearm after being tagged by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out in the seventh on a feetfirst slide. He laid near the bag for a couple minutes before being tended to by trainers and leaving the field.

Roberts said after the game he was encouraged that Ohtani had good strength and range of motion in the shoulder, but the team needed to see the results of his scans before knowing his status.

The Japanese slugger — and presumptive National League MVP — was 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 2. He is 1 for 8 in the first two games of the Fall Classic and is batting .260 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the majors.

Ohtani had been one of the few players on the Dodgers roster who got through the season without a major injury. The pitching staff has been beset by injuries, with nearly every member of the starting rotation spending time on the injured list.

Among the position players, Mookie Betts was out for nearly two months due to a broken left hand, and Max Muncy was out nearly half the season due to a right oblique strain. Freddie Freeman is playing in the postseason with a badly sprained right ankle.

Ohani has not pitched this year but became the first player in major league history with at least 50 homers and 50 stolen bases in a season.

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