With most of the baseball world focused solely on a single series, a lot of stories tend to come out, perhaps especially since this year’s World Series is Dodgers vs. Yankees is.

Here are a few more Dodgers-related stories as we prepare for Game 4, which may or may not be the final game of the 2024 MLB season.

Shohei Ohtani downplayed his left shoulder injury after Game 3 on Monday. Dylan Hernández of the Los Angeles Times wrote that and the reaction from Ohtani’s teammates that he could play. From Hernández:

When asked if his injury would require offseason surgery, he replied, “I wonder.” We haven’t really talked about that yet.”

Ohtani said he expected to be re-examined after the World Series.

“At this stage,” he said, “I don’t think it’s a problem.”

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote about the time from Ohtani’s injury on Saturday night in Los Angeles to his performance on Tuesday night in New York. Included in that piece was the text message Ohtani sent to his teammates who were on the bus on their way to the airport on Saturday evening (he was scheduled to fly out to join them on Sunday, after his MRI):

“Nice game, guys,” Ohtani wrote. ‘Bellinger’s shoulder was dislocated last time. This time my shoulder was dislocated. This is a good sign for a world champion.”

Another Dodger playing through injury in October is Freddie Freeman, who sprained his right ankle five weeks ago and has found his power stroke with three home runs and a triple in the first three games of the World Series.

From Jayson Stark at The Athletic:

“I honestly don’t think you guys have any idea what he’s doing to himself to play for this,” Kiké Hernández said. “This is getting to be some superhero s–t.”

Eno Sarris of The Athletic looked back at the last ten postseasons to examine the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of bullpen games in October. But he found that the Dodgers have done well because of the quality of depth in those situations, going 6-3 in playoff bullpen games during that time.

Steve Henson of the Los Angeles Times tracked down the boy who caught Freeman’s walk-off grand slam at Dodger Stadium on Friday.