After missing Saturday’s game due to right biceps tightness, Shohei Ohtani was back in the Dodgers’ lineup, batting leadoff as Los Angeles' DH against the Padres at Dodger Stadium on Sunday, which is also the two-way superstar’s 32nd birthday.
Ohtani was pinch-hit for following his pitching start on Friday in the seventh inning because of the biceps issue, but came into Saturday feeling "considerably better," per manager Dave Roberts.
Ohtani did not expect the biceps issue, which was similar to one he experienced earlier this season, to sideline him for long. It flared up after he threw a season-high 110 pitches on Friday, but he said he only felt discomfort during his final at-bat. He said he would have been ready to play Saturday, but the Dodgers opted to keep him out of the starting lineup as a precaution.
There still remains a question of whether Ohtani will make one final pitching start before the All-Star break, which would be lined up for Friday against the D-backs. Roberts said Saturday that skipping that start could be on the table, as Ohtani has also been dealing with lingering soreness in his left knee and a blister on his right hand.
For all of Ohtani’s historic accomplishments, he’s not enjoyed great numbers on his birthday throughout his career, with three hits in 26 at-bats (.115 average), though one of those hits was a home run.
With Ohtani back in the lineup, the Dodgers will be looking for their first four-game sweep of the Padres since April 30-May 3, 2009, at Dodger Stadium.