Scary Shohei Ohtani slide briefly has Dodgers fans concerned

Colin Hubbard-Imagn Images

Scary Shohei Ohtani slide briefly has Dodgers fans concerned

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Matty Breisch, ClutchPoints | Last updated Sep 2, 2026 12:07 AM ET

In the bottom of the fifth inning of Tuesday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Los Angeles Dodgers were looking for a spark to avoid a brutal loss.

Fortunately, that came in the form of a Mookie Betts double with two on, which scored a returning Alex Freeland from second base, but Shohei Ohtani received the late stop sign at third base in the pursuit of making it 10-5, with the reigning MVP having to slide back to the bag, seemingly tweaking his knee in the process. Getting up after the slide, Ohtani looked like he was in visible pain, even if he ultimately jogged off the field at the end of the inning.

3塁に戻る際に膝を痛めたのか足を気にする大谷選手#Dodgers Shohei Ohtani :ⓒSportsNetLA pic.twitter.com/H2FKGLMsWc

— 【MLB速報】放送地区【大谷速報】 (@MLB_comment) September 2, 2026

After famously stealing 40 bases in 2024 as part of his 40-40 club campaign, Ohtani hasn’t been nearly as willing to fight for extra bases in 2026. Initially, that might have been because of his desire to become the first Japanese-born player in MLB history to win the Cy Young, but after being shut down on the mound over the summer, attention has since turned to getting his body 100 percent back on track, with pesky knee and biceps injuries limiting his effectiveness all season long.

Fortunately for fans in Los Angeles, Ohtani was able to stay in the game against the Cardinals and would have hit in the seventh inning if Cardinals pitcher Justin Bruihl hadn’t hit him with his first pitch. While Dave Roberts could have more information after the game, for now, it looks like LA’s best player dodged a bullet.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: