Ohtani Poised for Dodgers Return as Roberts Reports Marked Health Improvement

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  Alden GonzalezSep 22, 2026, 09:49 PM ET

LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup Wednesday, the first day he is eligible to come off the injured list. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani looks “considerably” healthier than he did a couple of weeks ago.

“If he was a five, he’s probably an eight or a nine right now,” Roberts said, using a 1-to-10 scale to describe Ohtani’s condition.

The Dodgers also activated right-hander Roki Sasaki and center fielder Andy Pages from the IL on Tuesday, bolstering their roster ahead of October.

Sasaki, who has been recovering from a blister sustained during an Aug. 26 start, was available out of the bullpen for Tuesday’s series opener against the San Diego Padres. He could return to a late-inning role in the postseason. Pages, who fractured his left hand on Aug. 22, is set to resume everyday duties at a premium defensive position.

Ohtani was placed on the IL on Sept. 8 because of lingering pain in his right biceps and left knee. He began a hitting progression seven days later and progressed to taking as many as 40 swings off Trajekt, a pitching simulator, on Saturday. He also ran the bases that day, then completed his usual pregame workout Tuesday.

Ohtani, 32, will serve exclusively as a hitter for the remainder of the season. He had struggled at the plate before going on the IL, recording seven hits and 22 strikeouts over his previous 54 at-bats. Roberts has indicated that Ohtani is expected to play in all five of the Dodgers’ remaining regular-season games as he readjusts to major league pitching.

His spot in the batting order remains undecided. Ohtani will likely continue leading off against right-handed pitchers, but Betts’ recent surge has Roberts considering him for the leadoff role against lefties. Heading into the week, Betts was batting .373/.468/.746 in September.

Ohtani’s activation also raises questions about outfield prospect Josue De Paula.

De Paula, 21, has eight hits and 10 walks in 38 plate appearances since temporarily replacing Ohtani at designated hitter. The Dodgers are considering him as a left-handed bench option for the postseason, but they could option him when Ohtani is activated so he can gain at-bats in this week’s Triple-A championship series.

Backup catcher Dalton Rushing is another potential bench bat, although an elbow injury has prevented him from throwing. Rushing is expected to be activated within the next three days, but Roberts acknowledged that it would be difficult to use him as a pinch-hitter in October after he has played only four games since Sept. 1.

“There’s potential slug with both those guys,” Roberts said. “It’s going to be a good debate.”

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