Ohtani Nears Dodgers Return as Judge’s Absence Looms Over MLB Postseason Broadcasts

The health of baseball’s two biggest stars is reshaping the postseason picture in ways that extend well beyond the field — and straight into the broadcast strategies of two major media companies.

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ designated hitter and arguably the sport’s most marketable figure, could be activated from the injured list as soon as Wednesday. The two-way standout landed on the IL on Sept. 9 with a right biceps issue and left knee trouble after a difficult stretch of play through much of August. While he won’t be taking the mound — he hasn’t pitched since early July — his bat returning to the Dodgers lineup arrives at a critical moment as the club chases a third consecutive World Series title.

Manager Dave Roberts hinted that Ohtani’s return could come during the Dodgers’ series against the Padres, which began Tuesday night and marks the team’s final homestand of the regular season. Los Angeles holds the National League’s No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, though the rest of the league’s playoff bracket remains unsettled and could shift based on weekend weather.

Ohtani’s timing is notable for Fox, which carries the National League Division Series and Championship Series along with the World Series. A healthy, productive Ohtani deep into October figures to be a significant draw for the network’s playoff coverage.

Judge Out for the Wild Card Round

The opposite dynamic is playing out in New York. Yankees captain Aaron Judge, who returned this month after 99 days away with a fractured rib, went back on the injured list Saturday with a moderate right calf strain and received a platelet-poor plasma injection on Monday. Manager Aaron Boone said the team is planning for the Wild Card series — likely against Boston — without him.

That absence carries broadcast implications as well. NBC Sports holds exclusive rights to the Wild Card round, meaning it will lose one of baseball’s biggest ratings attractions for those games. NBC’s parent company, Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA), whose shares closed at $22.47, down 2.3% from a previous close of $23.00, with a market cap of roughly $92.5 billion, operates across media, connectivity, studios, and theme parks — and its Sports segment now faces a marquee-star gap in its MLB coverage window.

The situation marks a striking reversal from just two weeks ago, when Judge was being activated while Ohtani headed to the injured list. Now the Dodgers appear set to regain their centerpiece at exactly the right time, while the Yankees brace for the playoffs without theirs.

What to watch

• Whether Ohtani is officially activated before the end of the Dodgers’ homestand against the Padres.
• Any update on Judge’s calf recovery and whether a postseason return remains possible if New York advances.
• Final NL playoff seeding, which weekend weather could still scramble.
• Ratings for Fox’s NL playoff broadcasts and NBC Sports’ Wild Card coverage as they land without or with these stars.

Source: original release