LOS ANGELES -- It might not be long until Shohei Ohtani is back atop the Dodgers' lineup.
Following another productive day in his hitting progression, Ohtani (right biceps, left knee) remains on track to be activated from the 15-day injured list during the Dodgers' upcoming series against the Padres, manager Dave Roberts said after Saturday night's 10-4 win over the Giants at Dodger Stadium.
"There's a good chance next series we'll see him," Roberts said.
Ohtani's 15-day IL placement is backdated to Sept. 8, and the hope is that he'll be activated when he's eligible on Wednesday, the second game of the Dodgers' final home series against the Padres. He will return only as a hitter, as he is shut down from pitching.
After beginning a hitting progression on Tuesday, Ohtani has already progressed to hitting off the Trajekt machine, which simulates facing real pitchers. He came away feeling good after taking 30-40 swings on Saturday, Roberts said. Ohtani also ran the bases while the Dodgers took batting practice on the field.
Ohtani recorded a .902 OPS and hit a team-leading 30 homers before his lingering right biceps and left knee injuries caused him to be sidelined. In his 24 games before going on the IL, which coincided with an attempt to ramp up on the mound, Ohtani hit .198 (19-for-96) with 34 strikeouts.
If Ohtani returns when he is eligible on Wednesday, he will have only five regular-season games to reacclimate himself to big league action before the postseason. Roberts said he plans to play Ohtani in every game once he returns because he will need the live at-bats. Ohtani will not play in any Minor League rehab games because the Triple-A regular season ends Sunday, and the Dodgers do not have any extra pitchers on hand to throw live batting practice.
Through Saturday's action, the Dodgers were without Ohtani in the lineup for 15 of their last 16 games, but even without their best hitter, they went 13-3 in that span.
The Dodgers are not expecting Ohtani to be back to 100 percent physically once he returns, but they believe the rest has helped him feel as good as he can with his lingering ailments. Roberts described Ohtani as pain-free, albeit not necessarily free from discomfort.
"I do think that when he's activated," Roberts said, "it's going to be the best physical place he's been in in quite some time."