Ohtani will play in the third game of the World Series

New York. Shohei Ohtani will play for the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium, manager Dave Roberts said.

Ohtani partially dislocated his left shoulder when he slid into second base while attempting a steal during the seventh inning of Saturday’s 4-2 Game 2 victory over the Yankees in Los Angeles.

But the Japanese superstar was cleared to play on Monday, Roberts told ESPN in a text message on Sunday. Roberts was scheduled to hold a news conference later at Yankee Stadium.

Los Angeles has a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and is two wins away from its second title in five years.

Roberts told ESPN on Saturday that Ohtani “had a small dislocation in his shoulder” and that he would undergo an imaging test on Saturday or Sunday.

Ohtani grabbed his left forearm after being thrown out by shortstop Anthony Volpe for the final out of the seventh inning. The Japanese remained near the base for a couple of minutes before being treated by a kinesiologist and leaving the field.

Roberts said after the game that he was encouraged that Ohtani had good strength and movement in his shoulder, but that the team needed to see the test results before determining his status.

The Japanese slugger — the big favorite for the NL MVP — finished 3-0, with a walk in the second game. He has one hit in eight at-bats in the first two games of the Fall Classic. His batting average is .260, with three home runs and 10 RBIs in his first postseason in the Major Leagues.

Ohtani is one of the few Dodgers players to finish the season without any major injuries. The pitching roster has been plagued by injuries and nearly all of their starters have spent time on the disabled list.

Among their outfield players, Mookie Betts was out nearly two months with a broken left hand and Max Muncy was sidelined for almost half a season with a right oblique strain. Freddie Freeman is competing in the playoffs with a badly sprained right ankle.

Ohtani hasn’t pitched this year, but he became the first player in Major League history with at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season.