Earliest return Sept. 24; Lauer moved to 60-day IL

Shohei Ohtani [Yonhap]
Shohei Ohtani [Yonhap]

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed Shohei Ohtani on the 15-day injured list.

The Dodgers announced Saturday (Korean Standard Time) that Ohtani, 32, was placed on the 15-day IL with right biceps inflammation. Left-handed pitcher Erik Lauer, 31, who has been dealing with left elbow inflammation, was transferred from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.

The IL placement is backdated to Wednesday. Ohtani could return as early as Sept. 24.

Ohtani had been absent from the starting lineup in six of the team's seven most recent games due to left knee pain, right biceps inflammation and neck discomfort.

In his last seven appearances as a batter, he went 2-for-26 with a .077 average.

On the season, Ohtani is hitting .277 (139 hits in 502 at-bats) with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs. As a pitcher, he made 14 starts, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA.

He has not taken the mound since July 4 due to left knee pain and has said he will focus on hitting for the remainder of the season.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that if tomorrow were a postseason game, Ohtani would be in the lineup. "Fourteen days is a significant amount of time," Roberts said. "He's probably not going to be 100 percent, but I think he'll be in a much better place than he is today and be able to get through the season and beyond."

To fill Ohtani's roster spot, the Dodgers called up outfielder Josue De Paula, 21, the club's top prospect, from Double-A Tulsa.

The team moved Lauer to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster for De Paula.

Lauer pitched for the KIA Tigers in 2024, going 2-2 with a 4.93 ERA in seven appearances. He also started Game 3 of the Korean Series.


notstrong@heraldcorp.com