World Series - New York Yankees v Los Angeles Dodgers - Game 2
World Series – New York Yankees v Los Angeles Dodgers – Game 2 / Harry How/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Dodgers’ win over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series was immediately overshadowed by the injury in the middle of it, with Shohei Ohtani separating his left shoulder while sliding into second base. Ohtani had to be removed from the game, and details were vague: Had he separated his shoulder? Just how bad was it? What did this mean for the rest of the series? As Ohtani remained behind in L.A. to undergo an MRI, the baseball world prepared to wait with bated breath to see if the best player on Earth would be able to suit up for Game 3 in New York.

Except, well, turns we didn’t have to wait very long after all. Manager Dave Roberts managed to blindside Yankees fans once again, this time with an injury update heard ’round the world.

Dave Roberts says Shohei Ohtani will play in Game 3 vs. Yankees

Apparently Ohtani even heals faster than normal people. Granted, the team deemed his shoulder separation “minor” after the game, but still: a separated shoulder is a separated shoulder, and shoulders are pretty important for a man who swings a baseball bat for a living. But according to Roberts, Ohtani is feeling just fine, confirming to ESPN’s Karl Ravech that Ohtani is “in a great spot and will be playing Game 3 tomorrow”.

Now, it’s important to note that we still don’t know just what “in a great spot” really means. This could just be gamesmanship, or a great player doing whatever he can to play in the biggest games of his career. It’s possible that we get to Monday night and discover that Ohtani really is compromised.

If he’s anything close to his usual self, though, this is some absolute superhuman stuff. We’ve seen separated shoulders sideline players for weeks, if not longer, and it’s incredible to consider that Ohtani might just shrug one off no matter how minor it is. If Ohtani is in the lineup, expect the Yankees to bust him inside and test just how good that shoulder is feeling.

Either way, though, Ohtani needs to be commended for his tenacity, and his determination to play on the sport’s biggest stage. This World Series is a showcase of the like that MLB hasn’t seen in quite some time, one that would lose a lot of its luster if Ohtani were removed. Good on him for trying to make sure that doesn’t happen, and here’s hoping he comes back as strong as ever.