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The Dodgers are rotating through available players at designated hitter as Shohei Ohtani remains sidelined with ongoing injury management, per Eric Stephen at Yahoo Sports. The organization continues to prioritize Ohtani’s health and recovery over his immediate availability, opting to fill the DH spot with a combination of bench contributors and position players working through their own workload management.

This approach reflects the reality of where the Dodgers stand heading into the final month. Ohtani came to Los Angeles as one of baseball’s most versatile and valuable players—capable of handling both the DH role and working toward a return to the mound. The cascade of injuries—biceps soreness, left knee issues, the extended recovery timeline—has complicated that plan significantly. Rather than forcing him back prematurely, the front office and Roberts have made the strategic decision to use this time to deploy depth and evaluate which bench contributors can step into regular roles if needed down the stretch.

Kyle Tucker has seen increased plate appearances as part of the outfield and designated hitter rotation. Freddie Freeman continues to anchor the lineup at first base. The flexibility to move pieces around and fill the DH spot with whoever’s available and healthy actually demonstrates organizational strength; we have options. It’s not ideal to be without Ohtani’s bat, but it’s manageable if guys like Hernández, Tucker, and Freeman can maintain the offensive momentum they’ve built over the past few games.

For the Dodgers, the DH situation is a temporary patch on a larger injury crisis. If Ohtani ends up on the IL, this becomes a longer-term roster management issue. For now, it’s about surviving September without our full complement of weapons and arriving at October healthy. The trade-off—sacrificing some wins in early September to preserve pieces for October baseball—is a calculated decision. Whether it pays dividends will depend on who’s available and healthy when the postseason starts.

Source(s): Eric Stephen (Yahoo Sports) | First reported: September 5, 2026 7:05 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers