Los Angeles Dodgers hold Shohei Ohtani out of lineup again

Shohei Ohtani is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup for a third straight game Saturday, but the team has not placed him on the injured list.

Before the Dodgers took on the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani was scheduled to hit in the cage. How the team assesses the results of his session will help to determine if Ohtani is headed to the IL on Sunday.

On Friday, Roberts said Ohtani, who expressed soreness in his neck and along his right arm late in Wednesday's 8-6 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals, is still day-to-day, though he softened his stance about a potential stint on the IL.

"Hopeful," Roberts said when asked about Ohtani avoiding the IL, "but I wouldn't say confident. Hopeful. We'll see."

After Friday's 5-3 series-opening win over the Nationals, Roberts said he didn't expect Ohtani in the lineup Saturday, though he was prepared to make a final determination after the superstar was to be reevaluated by the training staff.

If the discomfort lingers after he hits in the cage, the Dodgers might have to temporarily shut him down, something they have avoided as he has battled small ailments throughout the season.

Los Angeles began Saturday at 84-57, in first place in the National League West, and tied with the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays with the second-best record in the majors, behind the Milwaukee Brewers.