LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers are keen to avoid coming across as dismissive.

They fully understand the significance of Shohei Ohtani to their squad, their organization, and to baseball as a whole.

However, if you believe that Ohtani’s shoulder injury—a partial dislocation—will severely affect the Dodgers’ pursuit of a World Series title, you clearly underestimate their resilience.

The Dodgers secured another victory on Saturday, winning 4-2, which puts them 2-0 ahead in the series against the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. They maintain the belief that they are capable of clinching the World Series title, with or without Ohtani, aiming for their first championship parade since 1988.

“We’re really confident,” declared Mookie Betts, the Dodgers’ All-Star right fielder. “We have an amazing group here. We can definitely handle business. I believe in this team.”

Ohtani, who made history as baseball’s first player to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, caused a wave of concern among the sellout crowd of 52,725 when he attempted to steal second base in the seventh inning. After sliding in, he reached back with his left hand and got tagged out.

Instead of standing up, he remained on the ground, clearly in distress.

“The whole stadium went silent,” remarked Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernández, who hit a home run earlier in the game. “Shohei means so much to this team. I hope he’s alright, and that the day off will help him recover.”

Ohtani left the Dodgers’ clubhouse before reporters entered. He is scheduled for testing on Sunday, but the team remains hopeful that he can return as their designated hitter in the World Series.

“When any player goes down, it’s a concern,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “But after assessing his range of motion and strength, I felt much better. A lot runs through your mind, but we have to stay positive.”

“In a couple of days, we’ll have a clearer picture, but the strength test and range of motion looked good. So we’re optimistic.”

When asked if he believes Ohtani will be back without missing the rest of the World Series, Roberts didn’t hesitate.

“I expect him to be back,” Roberts affirmed. “I expect him to be in the lineup.”

This season, the Dodgers have faced numerous challenges akin to navigating a pothole-riddled highway. They saw 15 pitchers land on the injured list, leaving them with only three starting pitchers in the postseason. They had to cope without infielder Max Muncy for two months. Betts missed 45 days, while first baseman Freddie Freeman sat out 15 games—his longest absence in seven years—and is currently playing on a severely sprained ankle.

Nonetheless, they have shown great resilience, finishing with the best record in baseball during the regular season and advancing past both the San Diego Padres and New York Mets in the playoffs. Whether or not Ohtani plays, they possess the depth and talent required to secure their first World Series title in a complete season since 1988.

“With a group like this,” Freeman noted, “they’ve carried me when I struggled. That’s their character. It has been our story all year.”

Even as they witnessed Ohtani exit the game in agony, the team felt empathy for their teammate, yet they remained unfazed regarding their prospects.

“It’s definitely disappointing,” said infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman, who contributed one of the Dodgers’ three home runs. “He’s the best player in the league, and seeing him in pain isn’t a pleasant sight. We’re hoping for a quick recovery.”

Still, the Dodgers have embraced a “next-man up” attitude throughout the season, and this won’t change just because it’s Ohtani.

“Having him out would create a significant gap,” admitted infielder/outfielder Enrique Hernández. “But there’s something special about this team; guys are ready to step up. We’ve won postseason games even without Freddie in the lineup.”

“We prefer not to have to play without Sho, but if that’s how it goes, I’m confident someone will rise to the occasion.”

The anticipated battle between Ohtani and Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge has been lackluster in the first two games, with Judge managing only one hit and striking out six times. His postseason struggles have lasted, with a batting average of .150 (6-for-40), featuring 19 strikeouts and just two home runs.

The Yankees recognize that another poor performance from Judge could prolong their World Series drought. Yet if Ohtani is unable to participate in Monday’s Game 3 at Yankee Stadium—or if he’s sidelined for the series—the Dodgers’ deep lineup means their confidence remains steadfast.

“Absolutely, 1,000%,” affirmed Teoscar Hernández, who, alongside Freeman, became the second set of Dodgers teammates to hit back-to-back World Series homers, following Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager. “We’ve faced several injuries throughout the season.”

“First, starting pitchers, then Mookie, and now Freddie. We hope not to add Ohtani to this list. If he can’t go on Monday, we’ll have to continue doing what we’ve been doing for the last few weeks.”

Despite their injury-plagued rotation, the Dodgers have cruised through the postseason without needing dramatic moments like Freeman’s walk-off grand slam.

On this evening, the team placed their confidence in starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who allowed only one hit—a solo home run to Juan Soto—across 6 ⅓ innings. They then watched as their relief pitchers successfully handled a late-game rally by the Yankees in the ninth inning.

As the series moves back to New York, the Yankees are determined to become the first team to overcome a 2-0 World Series deficit since they did so in 1996 against the Braves.

“Nobody said this would be simple,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “This series is long, and we need to stretch it out. We won’t back down.”

The challenge for the Yankees is that the Dodgers will stand firm too, regardless if their star player is in the lineup or not.

“I’m certain they’ll be coming out ready,” Betts remarked. “They really have no choice, and neither do we. We need to keep pushing forward. There’s still business to attend to.”