Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who was on the injured list since Sept. 8, was activated and in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres.
The designated hitter will bat second, with Mookie Betts, who is hitting.373/.468/.746 in September, leading off against Padres left-hander Robbie Ray.
Ohtani was put on the IL because of lingering pain in his right biceps and left knee. He will only hit the rest of this season.
The Dodgers also optioned outfielder Josue De Paula to Triple-A Oklahoma City. He had 10 hits and 11 walks in 42 plate appearances since temporarily replacing Ohtani at designated hitter.
De Paula is strongly being considered as an option to be a left-handed bat off the bench during the postseason.
The Dodgers on Tuesday had activated right-hander Roki Sasaki and center fielder Andy Pages off the IL.
ESPN's Alden Gonzalez contributed to this report.
