While the race for the leading home run getter of the season has intensified over the last few weeks, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will take the plate on Friday to increase his NL MVP odds.

According to Jesse Rogers of ESPN, one AL West pitcher, Mark Leiter Jr. of the Athletics, said that the Dodgers would not "miss a beat" if Ohtani weren't in the lineup, amid his defense of PCA as the NL MVP this season.

Mark Walter, the owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been in the news plenty this month. He recently sold the Los Angeles Lakers and is also in talks to sell his stake in Chelsea. There is speculation that Walter could sell the Dodgers as well .

Shohei Ohtani’s game-worn cleats sold for a record price, smashing Michael Jordan’s $93,000 baseball footwear record.

Shohei Ohtani is slowly recovering from his knee injury, which is crucial for the Los Angeles Dodgers at this point in the season.