Shohei Ohtani begins hitting progression as injury concerns linger

Shohei Ohtani will begin swinging a bat off a tee on September 15 as part of his injury recovery. This marks his first hitting activity since being placed on the injured list on September 7 due to ongoing right arm and left knee issues. The Los Angeles Dodgers have expressed cautious optimism about his improving health, although they do not expect him to be fully recovered before the playoffs. Ohtani's recent struggles included a slump of 6-for-52 before his IL placement. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts indicated that Ohtani and the training staff have agreed on this timeline for rehabilitation, which is viewed as a crucial step ahead of the final regular season games starting September 23.

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