Overview
- Shohei Ohtani, who was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 8, is expected to be activated Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts said.
- The Dodgers will return Ohtani strictly as a hitter because they have already shut him down from pitching for the rest of the season.
- Roberts said Ohtani is ‘‘considerably’’ improved after the IL stint and estimated his condition rose from about a 5 to an 8 or 9, signaling the club’s confidence in his day-to-day health.
- The team has five regular-season games to give Ohtani live at-bats and is still deciding his spot in the order, with a possible platoon at the top of the lineup against left-handers featuring Mookie Betts.
- The activation accompanies other recent returns and roster moves as the Dodgers try to lock a first-round bye and fine-tune the bench and pitching staff for October.