Dodgers Swap Shohei Ohtani for a Prospect at DH
MLB Trade Rumors reports that one of baseball's top hitting prospects is expected to get time in the Dodgers' DH role
The Los Angeles Dodgers are officially putting Shohei Ohtani on the injured list, which means baseball's $700 million unicorn is temporarily out of commission. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the team is expected to hand the designated hitter role over to one of their top hitting prospects.
Replacing a guy who hits baseballs into different area codes with a minor leaguer is objectively hilarious. It is the baseball equivalent of your favorite steakhouse running out of ribeye and offering you a really highly graded hot dog instead.
The good news for Los Angeles is that they have plenty of runway to figure this out. They are currently riding a massive winning streak, having just swept the Washington Nationals and the Cincinnati Reds in consecutive series.
They did not just beat the Reds, either. They completely dismantled them, capping off the series with a 14-1 laugher on September 10. When your lineup is putting up football scores, you can afford to give a rookie some low-pressure at-bats.
For the betting markets and fantasy managers, this is a massive disruption. Ohtani is a walking total-bases prop cash, and pulling him out of the daily lineup forces everyone to re-evaluate the Dodgers' run-scoring ceiling.
The real test starts on September 11 when the Dodgers head to South Beach to face the Miami Marlins. We will find out very quickly if this mystery prospect is ready for the show, or if Los Angeles is just going to rely on the rest of their billion-dollar roster to carry the load until Ohtani heals up.