What happened: He said daily availability is a point of pride and framed playing through less-than-full health as part of the job. Ohtani returned from the injured list on Sept. 23 and has since said knee and bicep issues will need managing into October.

Why it matters: That keeps his day-to-day health squarely in focus as the postseason advances and every plate appearance carries more weight. It also signals that maintenance, rather than full recovery, is the plan until the season ends.

What to watch: The next watchpoint is whether he stays in the lineup on consecutive days and how his swing holds up as October games stack up.