Shohei Ohtani's text message to Dodgers teammates puts more pressure on Yankees

A rare hush fell over Dodger Stadium on Saturday night during the seventh inning of Game 2 of the World Series. Shohei Ohtani, who was only caught four times in 56 steal attempts during the regular season, bolted from second after a slider down and in to Teoscar Hernández. Austin Wells rifled the ball to Gleyber Torres, who caught it and swung his arm down to nick Ohtani before his foot hit the bag. The Yankees started to clear the field as in the inning turned over, but Ohtani stayed down.

He was diagnosed with a partial dislocation in his shoulder, but was in the starting lineup for Game 3 and went through "80% of his usual routine" at Yankee Stadium before the game, per manager Dave Roberts.

On MLB Network ahead of Game 3, Roberts told the panel that Ohtani had texted his teammates the night he incurred the injury, saying "[I am] going to play no matter what." Roberts cracked a joke: "I wish I would've gotten that note so I would've slept a lot better the last couple nights. I'm not on the team thread!"

Shohei Ohtani told Dodgers teammates he would play in World Series Game 3 "no matter what"

Ohtani has never seen a postseason before this one, and he told reporters that he came to the United States for this exact reason: to play in the World Series. If we had to guess, it would probably have to take a completely broken bone to keep him off the field.

The Dodgers are up 2-0 against the Yankees, and although more improbable or just as improbable comebacks have happened before (in 1996, the Yankees themselves came back from 2-0 against the Braves to take the series in six), the Dodgers have an incredible upper hand here that they can't spoil. Only one team has come back from 3-0 in the postseason: the 2004 Red Sox against the Yankees (and those Red Sox had a lot more heart in them than these Yankees do).

Ohtani is 2-for-8 at the plate during this year's Fall Classic so far, and although he's already proved his mettle in October, he's going to want to walk away with a lot more to show for his efforts toward the Dodgers' eighth ring.

If LA had lost Ohtani, it would've been a massive blow, not only to the Dodgers' offense, but to the team's morale as a whole. But he'll be at the top of the lineup for Game 3, faithful as ever, to try to help devastate Yankees fans at their own ballpark.