Just two days ago, the Los Angeles Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, said that Kike Hernandez will be back before the All-Star break. But he didn’t know that the utility player could make such a recovery. And Roberts is equally relieved by Shohei Ohtani’s recovery as well. The two-way superstar is expected on the field on July 5. 

“He looks normal. It’s really, I’m gonna say, miraculous,” the manager struggled to find the best words to describe Hernandez’s recovery. “I’m really in disbelief at how well he’s responded given the injury. Swinging, throwing and everything.”

Enrique Hernandez had left elbow surgery this offseason. He returned to the roster after missing 53 games. But the 34-year-old lasted just two games before suffering a left oblique strain. The Dodgers had to put him on a 10-day IL on May 27. And he was expected to return late July or early August. However, Roberts had already hinted at an earlier return, and his interview with Bleed Los on Saturdays makes it all the more likely. 

It’s not just Kike, everyone had been worried about Shotime for a while. He has given the Dodgers fanbase a series of scares over the last few weeks. And a tightness in his bicep made it worse. 

There was a hamstring discomfort last month, and the manager had to pull him in the middle of a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It turned out to be a knee inflammation. 

Within a few days, Ohtani had a bleeding blister on the finger of his throwing hand against the Tampa Bay Rays. However, he was able to recover fairly quickly from both. 

But fans repeatedly asked management about his schedule. Many urged for more rest for him. And at one point, Dave Roberts decided not to put him on DH duties on days that he pitches. But the superstar had only missed three games this season until yesterday. 

“It was precautionary. Just kind of tightened up on the biceps. So he’s not gonna be engaged tomorrow. We’ll give him a day to fully recover or treat it out,” SportsNet LA quoted Roberts on its X post. “He’s dealt with it before. He’s a quick healer.”

The manager remained positive despite the repeated issues Ohtani faced in the last few weeks. And he still hasn’t found a reason to react in a different way. 

“He got treatment last night. Today feels considerably better, so obviously he’s not in there to start, and we’ll just kind of see how the day goes,” Roberts said on Saturday. “I think I’m hopeful, if things trend the way that we would expect, that he’ll be there tomorrow.”

And that’s all any fan would like to hear from the manager.