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Shohei Ohtani’s bombshell move upends everything we thought about his playoff future

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Cite

Harris, J. (2026, September 14). Shohei Ohtani’s bombshell move upends everything we thought about his playoff future. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/14/sports/shohei-ohtani-set-for-big-step-in-injury-recovery-with-dodgers/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

New York Post · collected 2026-09-14 · by Jack Harris

Quick Summary

Shohei Ohtani, the injured Los Angeles Dodgers star, is set to begin swinging a bat again on Tuesday after being sidelined with right arm and left knee issues since last Wednesday. Manager Dave Roberts revealed that Ohtani will start by hitting off a tee in Los Angeles, marking his return to physical activity following weeks of limited lifting and treatment. The team hopes this progression signals an improvement in Ohtani’s health, though they do not expect him to reach full fitness before the playoffs; he remains a critical figure for the Dodgers as they navigate their injury-riddled roster heading into the final stretch of the season.
Written by AI on 2026-09-15, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Shohei Ohtani, an outfielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers, is set to begin hitting off a tee on Tuesday after being sidelined due to right arm and left knee injuries since last Wednesday. This marks his first hitting activity since entering the injured list (IL) earlier this week. Previously, Ohtani's activities were limited to light lifting and treatment as part of an intentional light workload agreed upon by him and the Dodgers' training staff. At 32 years old, Ohtani has been shut down from pitching for the remainder of the season due to recurring injuries, a move that upends plans for his playoff future. Manager Dave Roberts expressed hope that this new hitting progression will be less painful for Ohtani, who had visibly struggled during previous attempts at gameplay this season.

Written for “Ohtani Playoff Future Uncertain” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Ohtani Playoff Future Uncertain
Sports · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 4% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
New York Post
Hedges 3 of 15 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles discuss different players (Shohei Ohtani and Roki Sasaki) and their separate injury situations.”
New York Post
Hedges 2 of 21 claims Outlet record 66/100
“The articles describe different stages of Ohtani's recovery and updates from his manager and team president, not a single specific incident.”
Toronto Star
Hedges 0 of 9 claims Outlet record 64/100
“The articles describe different stages of Shohei Ohtani's rehabilitation process, not the same specific incident.”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
23
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
4%
1 of 23 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
not political
takes no side on a contested political question
Publisher signals
66/100
New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Sports
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-09-15 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

New York Post · 15525 article(s) · 35 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 35 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Jack Harris
92 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 What Friedman didn’t do, however, was say that the Dodgers would be all-in on Skubal this winter, or that they would do whatever it takes to lock him up in a free agency process that is expected to end with the soon-to-be 30-year-old breaking Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record guarantee of $325 million for a pitcher.
🔮 After the team was eliminated from the National League Championship Series last week, Ohtani said he was not sure if he would need any offseason procedures.
🔮 When a new CBA is struck, and what changes to the league’s financial structure it could possibly entail, is still anyone’s guess.
🔮 This season, the group couldn’t replicate that success, enduring adversity during an injury-plagued regular season and then failure against a relentless Brewers offense in the team’s National League Championship Series elimination.
🔮 “Yes, definitely,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton on Thursday night, when asked if he intended to return to pitching in 2027.
🔮 Rojas will remain in the Dodgers’ organization moving forward, having agreed to transition into player development after 2026 when he re-signed as a free agent with the club this winter.
🔮 Instead, despite a 100-win regular season and league-record $432 million payroll, the two-time defending champions were eliminated in the National League Championship Series by the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday, ending their bid for history and sending them into an uncertain offseason –– one that could include an extended lockout, notable changes to the roster, and existential questions about how to retool around their aging veteran core.
🔮 Just a fourth-straight loss and an embarrassing elimination that will send the Dodgers into a long, regretful winter full of future uncertainty.
🔮 After striking out in his first at-bat Thursday night, Ohtani delivered the kind of moment the Dodgers had been waiting for all October, unloading on a down-and-in cutter from ex-Dodger Dustin May to give the Dodgers an early 4-0 lead in their elimination game.
🔮 Whenever the offseason arrives, notable changes could be coming to the Dodgers’ clubhouse. Freeman and Muncy won’t be going anywhere, nor will other core veterans such as Mookie Betts, Will Smith or Shohei Ohtani. But Miguel Rojas is likely to retire.
Also by Jack Harris
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 92 articles by Jack Harris →

Topics

CINCINNATI Dermabond Dodgers Los Angeles Reds

Subjects

Ohtani PERSON · 10× Dodgers ORG · 4× Roberts PERSON · 4× Andy Pages PERSON · 1× CINCINNATI GPE · 1× Dave Roberts PERSON · 1× Freddie Freeman PERSON · 1× Los Angeles GPE · 1× Miguel Rojas PERSON · 1× Shohei Ohtani PERSON · 1×

Narrative

Now, Ohtani will embark on what the Dodgers can only hope is a more pain-free hitting progression for their 32-year-old two-way star, who has already been shut down from pitching for the rest of the season after repeated setbacks in his season-long injury saga.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-15
🔮 Starting on Tuesday, the injured Dodgers slugger will begin swinging a bat again by hitting off a tee back in Los Angeles, according to manager Dave Roberts.

Claims (23 extracted, 1 hedged)

CINCINNATI –– After a week of largely light physical activity, Shohei Ohtani is about to begin ramping up again. asserted
Ohtani → begin → activity
Starting on Tuesday, the injured Dodgers slugger will begin swinging a bat again by hitting off a tee back in Los Angeles, according to manager Dave Roberts. uncertain
slugger → start → Roberts
That will mark the first time Ohtani has done any hitting activities since he was placed on the injured list last Wednesday amid ongoing right arm and left knee problems. asserted
he → mark → problems
Previously, Ohtani’s days had been limited to “lifting [weights], working out, and [getting] treatment,” Roberts said, with the club giving the four-time MVP an intentionally light workload amid his first IL stint in three seasons with the team. asserted
club → limit → team
Now, Ohtani will embark on what the Dodgers can only hope is a more pain-free hitting progression for their 32-year-old two-way star, who has already been shut down from pitching for the rest of the season after repeated setbacks in his season-long injury saga. asserted
who → embark → saga
“This,” Roberts said of Ohtani’s timeline, “is kind of what him and the training staff agreed upon.” asserted
him → say → what
The last two times Ohtani tried hitting in a game, he appeared to be visibly ailing, especially with a right arm issue that has grown as a concern in recent weeks. asserted
that → try → weeks
The injury was hampering Ohtani’s swing, leading to a 6-for-52 slump before he was finally placed on the 15-day IL. asserted
he → hamper → IL
It also left him grimacing in the batter’s box and reporting discomfort to the team’s training staff. asserted
It → leave → staff
The Dodgers do not expect Ohtani’s health to get back all the way back to 100% by the start of the playoffs. asserted
health → expect → playoffs
But, they are optimistic that he will be able to find a better (and less painful) feel for his swing in the coming week, before being eligible to be activated off the IL for the final five games of the regular season on Sept. 23. asserted
he → find → Sept.
Ohtani is not the only player currently dealing with an injury issue. asserted
Ohtani → deal → issue
Freddie Freeman was out of the lineup again on Monday while managing a right knee problem. asserted
Freeman → manage → problem
Miguel Rojas returned from a shoulder issue he re-aggravated on a diving play Sunday. asserted
he → return → play
Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing also remained on the IL, though Pages has made strides with his own hitting progression by advancing to batting practice against softer rubber balls while rehabbing a fractured hand. asserted
Pages → remain → hand
The pitching staff also has its own headaches –– even with trade deadline acquisition Kris Bubic set to be activated later in this week’s series against the Reds. asserted
Bubic → have → Reds
Roki Sasaki’s blister continues to leave his return date uncertain (he threw a bullpen session Monday to test a Dermabond adhesive). asserted
he → continue → adhesive
Edwin Díaz’s struggles on a minor-league rehab assignment have also put his status in doubt (he suffered a five-run inning on Sunday that will force him to make another outing in triple-A before being an option to return). asserted
that → put → A
“Right now, [all the injuries are] front of mind,” Roberts conceded. asserted
Roberts → concede → mind
“It’s not great. asserted
It → ’ → ?
Starting Tuesday, the Dodgers will get their first test to see whether his health is truly improving. asserted
health → start → test
“Once you get to October, athletes have a magical way of feeling better,” Roberts insisted. asserted
Roberts → get → way
For now, with Ohtani and so many others, the team can only hope that will prove to be the case. asserted
that → hope → Ohtani
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