Ohtani Expected To Play For Dodgers In Game 3 Of World Series

LOS ANGELES, CA —Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Shohei Ohtani will play in Monday's Game 3 of the World Series after the likely National League MVP suffered a "little left shoulder subluxation" in Saturday's Game 2 victory.

"He's in a great spot. He's playing tomorrow," Roberts told ESPN on Sunday.

"As far as test results, we've got doctors scrambling everywhere. I don't have them ... this is more me going by the training staff, Shohei feeling good this morning, range of motion, strength," Roberts said in a news conference later Sunday afternoon.

"Guys have had this before and played ... I don't see him being compromised. It's the left shoulder, which is the back shoulder, so I don't see how that affects his hitting," the manager added.

The Dodgers designated hitter suffered the injury attempting to steal second base in the seventh inning of Saturday's 4-2 victory over the New York Yankees. Ohtani remained on the ground after being tagged out on the slide, clutching his left arm and wincing in pain before being led off the field by trainers.

"I think he slides on his left knee, right foot forward, that's my assumption, and then he probably -- as he put his hand down, it probably subluxed out," Roberts said.

A shoulder subluxation is a partial dislocation of the shoulder joint.

Roberts said after the game that early tests on Ohtani were encouraging. "The strength was great. The range of motion good."

Ohtani did not fly to New York with the rest of the team on Saturday, remaining in Los Angeles for more tests, according to the network. He was expected to fly to the East Coast sometime Sunday.

Saturday's victory gave the Dodgers a two games-to-none lead. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series will be played Monday at Yankee Stadium beginning at 5:08 p.m. Pacific Time.

Game 4 and Game 5 (if necessary) will take place Tuesday and Wednesday at Yankee Stadium before the series returns to Los Angeles if the Yankees are able to win two of the next three.

This is the 57th time a team has taken a 2-0 lead in the World Series. Of the previous 56, 45 have gone on to win the World Series, 80.4%. The Dodgers have held 2-0 leads in four previous World Series, winning in 1963 and 1988 but losing in 1956, when they were based in Brooklyn, and in 1978 -- both times to the Yankees.