Ohtani Nears Dodgers Comeback While Judge Sits Out Wild Card Round
The short version
- Ohtani is expected to be activated from the IL as soon as Wednesday for the Dodgers' series against the Padres.
- He went on the IL Sept. 9 with right biceps and left knee issues and will not pitch upon returning.
- Judge re-entered the IL with a moderate right calf strain and is expected to miss the Wild Card series, likely against Boston.
- Fox gains from Ohtani's return with NL playoff and World Series rights; NBC Sports loses Judge from its exclusive Wild Card coverage.
Los Angeles expects Shohei Ohtani back from the injured list this week, while Aaron Judge is likely to miss the Yankees' playoff opener.
Shohei Ohtani could rejoin the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup as early as Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts indicated, pointing to the club's series with the San Diego Padres that begins Tuesday night. The designated hitter landed on the injured list Sept. 9 because of problems involving his right biceps and left knee, a stretch that followed a rough August at the plate. He will not pitch when he comes back, having last thrown in early July.
Ohtani's return would strengthen a Dodgers club chasing a third consecutive World Series title. Los Angeles appears set as the No. 2 seed in the National League with a first-round playoff bye, though the wider NL postseason race remains unsettled and could be affected by weather this weekend. Fox, which carries the NL Division Series, NLCS, and World Series this year, stands to benefit from having the sport's biggest draw back on the field.
The news is worse in the Bronx. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, who came back earlier this month after 99 days away with a fractured rib, returned to the injured list last Saturday with a strained right calf. The strain is considered moderate, and Judge received a platelet-poor plasma injection Monday to treat it.
Judge is now expected to sit out the American League Wild Card series, a matchup likely to come against the Boston Red Sox. "We're planning on him not being a part of that," manager Aaron Boone said. NBC Sports, which holds exclusive rights to the Wild Card games, loses a marquee attraction with Judge sidelined.
The reversal marks a swap in fortunes from two weeks earlier, when Judge came off the injured list on the same day Ohtani went on it.
