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The story
Shohei Ohtani returned to the starting lineup as the No. 2 hitter and DH in the September 23 (local time) game against the Padres, coming off a 15-day injured list stint for inflammation in his right biceps. He also took part in the team photo shoot before the game. On 5channel threads, the discussion centered on questions of fact: why he’s back batting second instead of his usual leadoff spot, speculation over whether the injury was really his biceps or actually his knee or neck, and theories that prospect De Paula — who’s being sent down to make room — is being lined up for a postseason-eligibility exception as an injury replacement.
Sponichi
[September 24, 2026, 07:27]
NL Dodgers vs. Padres (September 23, 2026, Los Angeles)
Source: sponichi.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
Even the ¥10 billion man (his $700M contract) gets treated like a liability now
Sad to see as a fellow Japanese fan 😭
What happened to the whole 'knee injury' story?
Heard the neck was actually the scariest part
Still hogging the DH spot though, that's the real problem
He's got the best OPS on the team by a mile, so of course he's hogging DH
He's the type who just wants to swing for the fences
I figured the team decided it's better to let him swing freely than ask for situational hitting, but here he is coming back batting second
If they're going with a zigzag (alternating lefty/righty) lineup, maybe Smith 3rd and Freeman cleanup?
Probably sponsor obligations involved — when he's slumping they have to cook up all these cover stories, rough on both him and Roberts
He could've just sat out the rest of the season
If they win it all three years running too easily, they'll run out of goals
Just needs to find his timing in the last 5 games
Grandpa, you already had dinner (a jab implying the poster's confused and repeating themselves)
Yamamoto better step up and carry the team
That's just the kind of guy Ohtani is
Even Matsui and Yamamoto won World Series MVP, so he'd better bring one home too
Has he actually had sustained postseason success before, though?
Guess 'Ohtani harassment' really is a thing lol
Thought you'd already retired
This thread's moving at a third the speed of the Fujinami one
The game's not even over yet
De Paula, who debuted in September, technically isn't eligible for the postseason roster,
but there's an exception: if a team applies to replace an injured player, he can be added.
If they option him down today and the request to replace Rushing gets approved afterward,
he'll be postseason-eligible from the very start. (Today is the perfect timing for it.)
The Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate is in its own postseason and has games going,
so De Paula will suit up as an outfielder there today.
With Ohtani's return cutting into his playing time anyway, this lets him keep playing in the minors and stay sharp
— basically a two-birds-one-stone move.
Ah, that's what's going on
Yeah, they do need De Paula for the postseason
Couldn't Ohtani just go tune up in Triple-A instead?
Guy can't hit for squat the moment there's a runner on base
If leadoff's out, 9th's the only spot that makes sense — go work on your defense
Background and Key Points
Ohtani’s stint on the injured list this time was for inflammation in his right biceps; the “knee” and “neck” issues floated in the thread remain unsubstantiated speculation. Moving him down from his usual leadoff spot to second appears to reflect a modern lineup-construction philosophy that prioritizes getting on base and maximizing extra-base hits over small-ball tactics — more likely a strategic call by the coaching staff than something Ohtani requested himself. As for the discussion around prospect De Paula, MLB rules generally require a player to have been on the active roster by August 31 to be postseason-eligible, but there’s an exception allowing a late addition as a replacement for an injured player — so the theory that the team is timing this move to file that exception alongside Ohtani’s return has some real basis. With the Dodgers chasing 100 wins down the stretch, Ohtani’s return has drawn extra attention to both his batting order spot and how he’s being used.
※This article is excerpted and summarized from the 5channel (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[NL] Shohei Ohtani Returns to Starting Lineup as ‘2-Hole DH,’ Joins Team Photo Before Game.”
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