WATCH: Shohei Ohtani takes big precautions to avoid aggravating injury in World Series Game 3, uses sling pregame

Coming into Monday's Game 3 of the World Series, there were concerns about whether Shohei Ohtani would be able to play at all following his shoulder injury in Game 2 on Saturday. On Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed that the decision rests with the slugger and that the team's management feels he should be there leading off for the Dodgers, hinting the injury was not all as serious as initially expected.

However, the live broadcast of Game 3 saw Ohtani coming out of the dugout with a sling to his left shoulder for the pre-game introduction. The move may be to avoid aggravating the injury. The two-way star might be playing through injury or, at the least, isn't completely healthy.

It helps that Shohei Ohtani isn't a defensive player and that he won't pitch until 2025.

Shohei Ohtani's injury: What happened?

During the seventh inning of Game 2 of the World Series, Ohtani hustled to steal second base. He slid to avoid getting out but fell on his left arm, and soon he was grimacing in pain. He was picking off his left shoulder as the Dodgers medical team immediately attended to him.

Soon after, he was taken out of the game, with Dodgers fans fearing the worst. The Dodgers were leading 4-1 at the time. They went on to win 4-2 and take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

With Game 3 scheduled for New York, Ohtani didn't travel with the team and stayed back in LA to undergo an MRI. The following morning, the MRI revealed a slight dislocation but no structural damage. The slugger texted his group, saying he feels fine and wants to be part of the Game 3 lineup.

He led off on Monday night, scoring on Freddie Freeman's two-run homer in the first inning.

"Obviously, there's some discomfort," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. "I would say it's more discomfort, and that's kind of what I alluded to. It's a subluxation. It's per an individual's tolerance.

"Some swings were fine, some swings were a little uncomfortable. But I think for me it was more of ... we didn't feel he was going to be compromised and he was going to play."

At Dodger Stadium, after Ohtani cleared strength and range-of-motion tests, the Dodgers medical team cleared him as the Japanese star flew to New York late Sunday.

While Shohei Ohtani doesn't seem 100% healthy, his limited action due to him only being a designated hitter helps.