Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was an unexpected late scratch for Friday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles.
But there’s no reason to worry about injury in Los Angeles. In fact, it’s good news for Ohtani. Shortly after releasing a lineup card without Ohtani in it, the Dodgers announced that he’s away from the team on paternity leave.
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Per the team, Ohtani’s expected to return to the team “sometime this weekend.”
For Friday, at least, outfielder Kyle Tucker will move into Ohtani’s regular leadoff spot in the lineup, and Ryan Ward will take his spot at designated hitter and bat seventh.
Per the timeline offered by the Dodgers, Ohtani’s leave doesn’t appear to impact his place in the pitching rotation. Ohtani last pitched on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Roki Sasaki (Friday), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Saturday) and Emmett Sheehan (Sunday) are slated to start in the three-game home-stand against the Orioles. The Dodgers have not listed probable pitchers for road games against the Minnesota Twins on Monday and Tuesday.
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