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Dodgers Fans Held Their Breath After Shohei Ohtani Was Hit With a Come-Backer

The Dodgers pinch hit for Ohtani in the eighth inning.
Shohei Ohtani was hit in the leg with a liner during his start Wednesday against the Rockies
Shohei Ohtani was hit in the leg with a liner during his start Wednesday against the Rockies | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Shohei Ohtani faced a scary moment in his start Wednesday when he took a line drive from Rockies third baseman Orlando Arcia square on the leg.

With two runners in scoring position in the fourth inning, Arcia hit a ball right back up the middle as Ohtani simultaneously attempted to get out of the way and make the play. He couldn't get his glove on the ball in time as the contact with his leg made an audible noise. He ran to grab the ball and try to make a play at first but couldn't make the throw in time and he came up hobbling after the play.

The Dodgers' medical staff ran out to check on their superstar as he limped back to the mound. After a brief conversation, Ohtani stayed in the game and finished out the inning. His day on the hill was over after the fourth, though. When done on the mound, he stayed in the game as L.A.'s designated hitter and walked in the fifth, but the Dodgers pinch hit Alex Call for Ohtani in his following at-bat.

There's currently no word on whether the late removal is due to a potential injury to his leg following the come-backer from Arcia. Hopefully the fact that he continued pitching and then took an at-bat is a positive sign.

Nevertheless, the scary moment caused Dodgers fans to collectively hold their breath:

In the four innings thrown, Ohtani let up five earned runs and nine hits while striking out three batters. His ERA for the season moved to 4.61.


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Blake Silverman
BLAKE SILVERMAN

Blake Silverman is a writer at Sports Illustrated, primarily covering the NBA and WNBA. Before joining SI in November 2024 as a breaking/trending news writer, he covered the WNBA, NBA, G League and college basketball for numerous sites, including Winsidr, SB Nation and A10Talk. He’s an alum of both Michigan State and St. Bonaventure University, receiving a master’s degree from the Bonnies’ sports journalism program. Outside of work, he’s a husband, father, yogi and fairly mediocre tennis player who’s open to any tips on how to play defense in EA Sports College Football.