Roberts: Ohtani playing through hamstring bruise

CINCINNATI (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been playing with a bruised hamstring and has been told to take it easy on it, manager Dave Roberts said Saturday.

Ohtani was injured when he was hit by a pickoff throw during the Dodgers’ last homestand, Roberts said.

The question was raised with the Dodgers manager after Ohtani appeared to not be at full speed while running out a triple in the sixth inning.

“Our advice to him is just be smart with it,” Roberts said. “I think he was just going to leg out a double and the ball just didn’t get in (to the infield), so he kept running. It is him just managing the hamstring.

“Today, it was better than yesterday. We need him in there. We just didn’t want to push it.”

Ohtani was 1 for 4 with three strikeouts in Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the Reds. He was 0 for 5 in the series opener Friday night, also won by Cincinnati.

The teams play the series finale Sunday afternoon.

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