Monday, September 21, 2026 — the most important comeback on the Dodgers’ calendar now has a date attached to it.
Shohei Ohtani took 30 to 40 swings against a Trajekt pitching machine and ran the bases under the watch of strength coach Travis Smith. It was the clearest sign yet that his stay on the 15-day injured list could end at the minimum.
Ohtani is eligible to be activated Wednesday, September 23, when the Padres come to Dodger Stadium. Dave Roberts called it a realistic target. “Still up in the air, but that’s our hope,” he said.
The Plan
There will be no minor league rehab assignment — it is simply too late in the year. Instead, Ohtani would get his work in the big leagues. If he returns Wednesday, he will have five regular-season games before the postseason, and Roberts intends to play him in every one of them. The reason is simple: he needs live at-bats.
He will return strictly as a designated hitter. The Dodgers have essentially ruled out any more pitching from Ohtani in 2026.
How Healthy Is He?
This has been a frustrating month. Ohtani missed four straight games, returned on September 7, then sat again the next day — the sequence that led to the IL stint. He has been dealing with trouble in his left knee and his right arm and biceps.
Roberts was honest about the situation. Ohtani probably isn’t at full strength, the manager said, but he is better than he was a week ago. The line the Dodgers are drawing is between discomfort and pain: he can play through the first, not the second.
Why the Runway Matters
Five games is not much time to find a swing. But for the Dodgers, the bigger picture favors them. They lead the race for the National League’s No. 2 seed, and a first-round bye would add several more days before their first postseason game.
That combination — five games of at-bats plus a possible bye — is about the best scenario Los Angeles could have hoped for after the setbacks of early September.
The Read
The Dodgers clinched their division without Ohtani, which says a lot about their depth. But they are chasing a third straight World Series title, and Ohtani wants to be part of it. If Wednesday goes to plan, the final week of the regular season becomes his spring training for October.
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