Shohei Ohtani Returns to Action as Dodgers Face Twins

Shohei Ohtani is back in action as the L.A. Dodgers face the Minnesota Twins in a three-game series starting Monday. The Twins are on a hot streak, having won six of their past seven games.

The Twins are suddenly back in the playoff hunt, with a 38-41 record and just 3.5 games behind the Chicago White Sox for the American League Central Division lead.

The Dodgers, currently the best team in baseball at 49-28, have a half-game lead in the National League West. Shohei Ohtani is hitting .297 with 16 home runs and 43 RBI in 74 games.

Ohtani is also the Dodgers' ace on the mound, with a 7-2 record and a 1.47 earned run average in 12 starts and 73 2/3 innings. He will likely start on the mound for the Dodgers on Wednesday night in the series finale.

The Twins have been away from Target Field for nine of their past 12 games, but are expected to see big crowds with Ohtani in town. The Twins beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 on Sunday to sweep the three-game series.

The Twins have won six of their last seven games, with a 16-8 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday night. They are just one game out of a Wild Card spot, making this series against the Dodgers crucial for their playoff hopes.

Shohei Ohtani's return from injury has been a significant boost to the Dodgers, and his performance will be closely watched in this series. The Twins will need to be at their best to take on the Dodgers and Ohtani, who is back to his dominant form