"Have to hold our fort and keep moving on"- Shohei Ohtani reflects on Dodgers' recent injury woes following disappointing loss against Astros

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been plagued with injuries to their key players across several positions. Although some of their pitching staff have returned from the IL, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler are still not guaranteed to return anytime soon.

Mookie Betts and Miguel Rojas being placed on the injured list was a big setback for the Dodgers infield, followed by another blow when Chris Taylor was sidelined due to a groin strain.

Discussing the team in the absence of injured players, Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani said in a post-game interview on Saturday:

“Obviously facing tough games the last couple games losing with you know, pretty much a close game. So I think we just have to kind of hold our fort and keep moving on."

On Saturday, the Los Angeles Dodgers lost with a 7-6 score against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. The team started the game following their shutout 5-0 loss in their series opener.

Shohei Ohtani had a solid outing, recording two hits at three at-bats with two RBIs, two walks and no strikeouts. In the third inning, Ohtani hit his 32nd homer of the season, strengthening his position at the top of the NL home run charts.

The two-time AL MVP’s 443-foot dinger brought a run, reaching a 118.7 mph exit velocity. Speaking about it, he said:

“I think probably out of all the home runs I hit. I think today the one that I hit felt really good in terms of angle, the distance how it came off the bat.”

“It’s hard to tell but I have been able to run better this year,” Ohtani added when asked about any power difference from last year.

Shohei Ohtani opens up about potential future additions to the Dodgers

On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Dodgers added Nick Ahmed to their roster to strengthen their infield. Discussing about the future additions to the team, Shohei Ohtani said in the post-game interview:

“I am really focused on winning the games with the guys we have. At the same time if we get a new guy then I will more than welcome him as the part of the team.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers (62-44) are first in the NL West, while the Houston Astros (55-49) are first in the AL West. The Dodgers will try to avoid getting swept by the Astros in their series finale on Sunday.