The Los Angeles Dodgers are giving Shohei Ohtani something he has rarely received during his remarkable career: time to slow down.
With the postseason approaching, Los Angeles is placing its two-way superstar on the 15-day injured list as he continues to deal with physical problems that have increasingly limited his availability.
Ohtani has missed six of the Dodgers’ past seven games, with discomfort in his right arm becoming the latest concern. He has also been managing an ongoing left knee issue that has prevented him from pitching since early July.
The timing means Ohtani will be eligible to return Sept. 23, giving him as many as five regular-season games to prepare for the playoffs.
For the Dodgers, the calculation is straightforward. Rather than continue trying to get Ohtani into the lineup while he is less than fully healthy, the club is giving him an extended recovery period with the hope that a stronger version of its biggest star will be available when the games matter most.
His absence from the mound is already expected to continue. Ohtani has indicated that he most likely will not pitch again this season after compiling an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts.
His bat remains an enormous part of the Dodgers’ plans.
Ohtani has 30 home runs and a .902 OPS this season, but his recent numbers suggest the physical problems may have started taking a toll. He has managed only seven hits over his past 54 at-bats while striking out 22 times.
Now Los Angeles will use the opening to get an early look at one of the most exciting young hitters in its organization.
The Dodgers are promoting 21-year-old outfielder Josue De Paula from Double-A Tulsa, with the highly regarded prospect expected to receive much of the available playing time at designated hitter while Ohtani recovers.
De Paula has made a strong case that he is ready for a bigger challenge. He has hit .303 with a .401 on-base percentage and .547 slugging percentage this season, producing 27 home runs while also stealing 31 bases.
His combination of power, speed and plate discipline has helped establish him as one of baseball’s premier prospects and one of the most important young players in the Dodgers’ system.
De Paula is expected to join the major league club Friday in Miami as Los Angeles begins a seven-game road trip through Miami and Cincinnati.
It creates an intriguing late-season opportunity. The Dodgers certainly did not want to lose Ohtani this close to October, but his absence opens the door for one of their brightest young talents to get his first taste of the majors in the middle of a postseason race.
Los Angeles is betting that two weeks of rest will pay much larger dividends in October.
In the meantime, De Paula gets his chance to show that the Dodgers’ next potential star may be closer than expected.
