Dodgers Shohei Ohtani suffers shoulder subluxation in win against Dodgers Yankees

Los Angeles Dodgers fans may have let out a big “uh-oh” when they saw that Shohei Ohtani had injured his left shoulder. This happened in the seventh inning of an otherwise great 4-2 Dodgers victory over the New York Yankees in Game 2 of the World Series.

Ohtani was trying to steal second base when he slipped past the bag and started rolling on the ground with his left arm, which is not what you expect from your superstar. Dodgers assistant athletic trainer Yosuke Nakajima came out and helped Ohtani back to the dugout and into the clubhouse while supporting Ohtani's arm. After the win, which gave the Dodgers a two-games-to-nil lead in the World Series, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts mentioned that Ohtani's injury was a subluxation of his shoulder and that further testing would occur.

What is a subluxation? Well, when it comes to proper function of the shoulder joint, it all comes down to location, location, location. The ball of your upper arm bone, called the humerus, is designed to fit into the socket formed by the glenoid. If that humeral head is completely pulled out of the socket, it is a dislocation, dislocation, dislocation.

However, if the ball only partially comes out of the glenoid socket, it is called a subluxation of the shoulder. Obviously, a partial dislocation of the humerus is better than a complete one. But the situation is still not very humorous. The symptoms of a shoulder subluxation can be very similar to those of a completely dislocated shoulder: weakness, pain, swelling, numbness, or a tingling sensation in the arm. When it happens, you probably won't quite say, “Oh, it's clear it's a subluxation of my shoulder, a partial dislocation rather than a full dislocation.” No, instead, you'll probably say “Owwwwwwwwww.” and need a doctor to tell the difference.

However, with a subluxation, the shoulder is more likely to return into place on its own. If this is not the case, do not try to push the humerus back into place yourself. This could cause damage to all the parts that surround and support your shoulder joint, such as your ligaments and muscles. Regardless of whether your shoulder returns to its original position on its own, it is a good idea to have it examined by a doctor as soon as possible, as any movement of the humeral head out of the socket also causes partial damage to the surrounding areas structures can come. It's also a good idea to provide support for your shoulder, such as a sling or splint, to keep your joint from wobbling back and forth more.

Because of this, it is difficult to assess Ohtani's overall situation until doctors get more images of the shoulder joint. A simple x-ray can show how far the head of the humerus protrudes from the socket, which can help determine the initial care plan. However, an MRI may be necessary to determine what damage has occurred to the other structures.

The doctors have probably already put Ohtani's humeral head back in place using a so-called closed reduction. Now a closed reduction may sound like a kind of cooking sauce, but it is not. The doctor gently maneuvers and rotates your arm until the head of the humerus slides back into place.

A key word here is “doctor.” You don't want some guy or dudette you just met at the local Starbucks pushing your joint into position and causing more damage. The other key word to hear is “gentle.” This whole process could hurt like a peep. Therefore, you may need to take a painkiller or even undergo general anesthesia beforehand. Inserting the joint should immediately provide significant pain relief.

This is called a closed reduction because it does not require surgery and does not require opening of the skin and soft tissue in the area. Surgery is usually not necessary unless the shoulder cannot be put back into position or other damage needs to be repaired. Surgery may also be necessary if you suffer from repeated subluxations and there are signs that your shoulder has become loose due to damage to the supporting structures.

Once a closed reduction has presumably successfully returned the humeral head into position, it is a good idea to take subsequent x-rays to ensure that your shoulder looks good.

If Ohtani were just your normal guy, he would probably immobilize his shoulder in a sling for a few weeks after the closed reduction. After all, the average Joe might not really need his left shoulder except for a dramatic gesture on a date or at the office water cooler. Such immobilization can prevent the humerus from moving out again and allow the surrounding tissue to heal. Anti-inflammatory medications can reduce the swelling that occurs.

But Ohtani is not your average Joe. He infuriates Shohei Ohtani, the first Major League Baseball player to hit more than 50 home runs and steal more than 50 bases in a single season. The Dodgers organization is trying to win its eighth World Series against a Yankees organization that has already won 27 of them. They could kind of use Ohtani.

The big problem with any type of shoulder dislocation is that once it happens once, it is more likely to happen again. This is because everything around the shoulder could be weakened. For this reason, you may want to seek physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the joint.

If you can, avoid activities that could dislocate your shoulder again, such as lifting or throwing heavy objects. Yes, I know, that means you might want to stop doing the shot put and find something else to do during dinner parties.

Roberts said, “I expect him to be there,” when asked if Ohtani will be available for Game 3, which will be held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York City. But we won't get a better picture of Ohtani's availability until doctors have a more detailed picture of his shoulder.