Dodgers manager assures Shohei Ohtani is not overburdened; has plan in place if Freddie Freeman is sidelined

On Thursday, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers clinched their latest NL West title at home with a 7-2 win over rivals the San Diego Padres. However, it came at a cost for the Blues, as Freeman injured his ankle during the game.

Attempting to reach first base after hitting an infield single in the bottom of the seventh inning, Freeman injured his ankle as he tried to avoid Luis Arraez at first base. The 35-year-old had to leave the field as a result.

Upon further examination, it was revealed that there was no major damage to Freeman's ankle. He is expected to make it back relatively quickly, but an exact date for the same has not yet been confirmed. Ahead of the final game of the regular season, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts talked about his plan of action in case Freeman didn't make it back in time for the opening game of the postseason.

"My expectation is Freddie's going to be there. If it is a longer term situation, I would consider flipping Max (Muncy) and Kike (Hernandez) (Kike is currently playing first base and Muncy is at third base). Max would then work out during this bye week at first base, but again, I think this is more short term," Roberts said. [1:42]

Further, Roberts talked about superstar Shohei Ohtani.

"It's certainly not on Shohei to carry anyone, I don't believe that. Given that you have other stars in the lineup. I think, they all just gotta play within themselves. They're superstars, I'll take our chances," Roberts added. [4:30]

Shohei Ohtani goes into the postseason swinging a hot bat

The curtain falls on an exceptional regular season for Shohei Ohtani. The 30-year-old accomplished the first-ever 50-50 season, led the NL for home runs and RBIs and helped his new team to its 11th NL West title in 12 years.

The Japanese international heads into the first postseason of his career in great touch, batting .667 in his last nine games, with six home runs and 20 RBIs. Such performances have brought Ohtani within touching distance of a potential batting triple crown.

Exciting times are afoot for Dodgers fans, who will be hoping Shohei Ohtani can keep up his current level of play, as the Blues aim to bring the Commissioner's Trophy back to LA for the first time since 2020.