The Los Angeles Dodgers faced injury troubles during their Thursday matchup against Pittsburgh, losing two key players before the game concluded.
Star player Shohei Ohtani departed in the seventh inning’s top half due to inflammation in his left knee. The versatile athlete had been having an outstanding performance, collecting two hits in two at-bats, including a home run, and reaching base safely four times before leaving the contest. Santiago Espinal took over his designated hitter role.
The team’s injury woes began earlier when starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski suffered problems in the fifth inning. The left-handed pitcher took a hard-hit ball traveling 96.2 mph off his upper leg, then collided with Bryan Reynolds during Reynolds’ infield hit.
Wrobleski was diagnosed with a right hamstring contusion and could not continue. His outing lasted 4 2/3 innings, during which he surrendered four runs on six hits, including two home runs.
Ohtani had given his team an early advantage in the third inning, connecting on a 3-2 sweeper from Mitch Keller and sending it over the right-center field barrier for a solo home run. This marked his 13th home run of the current season, following his two-run homer in Wednesday’s 9-8 defeat to the Pirates.
