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Dodgers Notes: Magic Number Shrinks, Shohei Ohtani Absence Raises Eyebrows, LA Pitcher Thought Career Was Over

Catch up on all the latest Dodgers news and notes.
Gabe Smallson|
Sep 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cincinnati Reds, 3-2, on Tuesday evening and improved to 88-57 on the year.

Reigning two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal struck out five across 7.1 innings of work and allowed two earned runs off of four hits. Teoscar Hernández went 3-for-3 at the plate while Will Smith hit a first-inning solo home run, his first long ball since May 29th.

Following the win, the magic number for the Dodgers to clinch the National League West division is 7. This would be their 13th division win in the last 14 seasons and fifth consecutive NL West title.

Superstar Shohei Ohtani didn't play on Tuesday, despite a long-awaited return to the lineup on Monday night. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters before the game why the four-time MVP was once again off the lineup card.

“Talking to the training staff, it’s more the thought of, ‘Let’s build him up slowly,'” Roberts said. “So I think a day here or there is not the worst thing, to make sure overall that his body feels as close to 100% as possible.”

In other news, right-hander Bobby Miller made his season debut on Sunday and earned the win, his first in over two calendar years. The 27-year-old was asked if he had any doubts about a return to the big leagues and spoke honestly after the game.

“I’d say earlier this year, yeah,” Miller said. “But the way I started feeling lately, out of the ’pen with my last few outings in Triple-A, I really just started to have sort of like an ‘F it’ mentality out there. Whatever happens, happens. Don’t pitch tense out there."

Roberts spoke on the injury-plagued battle back to MLB for Miller and the fight that he has displayed throughout the entire process.

“I give him a lot of credit for continuing to fight to be a part of this,” Roberts said. “He could have easily cashed in the season. Coming out of spring training, he was hurt, and really never got any traction as far as health. And there was good, there was not good, and to continue to persevere — that says a lot about the character.”

Here’s all the latest Dodgers news and stories (click the headline for the full article):

Dodgers' Dave Roberts Reveals Why Shohei Ohtani is Out Just One Day After Return

Dodgers' Bobby Miller Thought His MLB Career Was Over Before Surprise Promotion

Pitcher Traded By Dodgers Stayed Back to Cheer on Teammates From Stands

Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani May Not Be Done Missing Games With Injury

Dodgers Lineup vs Reds: Shohei Ohtani Out in Concerning Development

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Gabe Smallson
GABE SMALLSON

Gabe Smallson is a sportswriter based in Los Angeles with a focus in sports and entertainment content. Gabe has previously worked at Newsweek and Dodgers Nation. He graduated from San Francisco State University in 2020 and received his Masters of Science at the University of Southern California in 2025.

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