Shohei Ohtani‘s troublesome left knee continues to limit his mound work, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen) today that Ohtani won’t make his scheduled start on Wednesday against the Phillies. Ohtani will continue his regular DH duties, but it isn’t clear when he’ll be back pitching.
“Where we’re at right now, how we’re proceeding, I would say that it’s going to be some time. I’d say that it’s not going to be a day-to-day thing,” Roberts said. The skipper did state that Ohtani would pitch again this season, and that the decision is somewhat precautionary.
“Honestly, a lot of it is where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,” Roberts said, referring to how Los Angeles is cruising towards another NL West title. “Could he probably do it? Sure. But right now, the benefits just [don’t] seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot to then pitch.”
Ohtani’s last game as a pitcher was on July 3, when he allowed three earned runs over six innings in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the Padres. Ohtani has a 4.38 ERA in his last 24 2/3 innings pitched, which may reflect his knee irritation or perhaps just some natural regression from the otherworldly 0.74 ERA Ohtani posted in his first 10 starts and 61 frames. The Dodgers held Ohtani out of his last scheduled start before the All-Star break and he skipped the All-Star Game itself to give himself more rest, while getting a lubricating Orthovisc shot in his knee.
After a UCL surgery kept him from pitching at all in 2024, Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA over 47 regular-season innings as a pitcher in 2025, and he then added 20 1/3 more pitching innings during the playoffs. The Dodgers have been careful in managing Ohtani’s rest all year, giving him some off-days from the DH role on starting days or either before or after his starts.
As always, the Dodgers’ focus is on keeping Ohtani (and all of their injured players) healthy for October. In Ohtani’s particular case, the Dodgers certainly don’t want to push him and risk any sort of injury that would also limit his ability to hit. The knee problem doesn’t appear to be slowing down Ohtani’s bat, and he had two hits in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win over the Yankees today in the first game of a doubleheader.
Los Angeles has dealt with a mountain of injuries over the last few years, yet those losses haven’t impacted the Dodgers’ success due to the depth of talent on both the big league roster and in the farm system. Even now, with Ohtani unavailable to pitch and both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the 60-day injured list, L.A. still has Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Eric Lauer in the rotation.
Between these arms and a playoff ticket all but assured, Los Angeles can afford to give Ohtani, Snell, and Glasnow all the time they need over the rest of the regular season. Trading for at least another depth starter is also a possibility, if the Dodgers’ concern about their rotation health grows between now and the August 3 trade deadline.
He’s like 30 when is the pitching going to come to an end .
Never. Can always move him to the bullpen. DH then become the closer in the 9th. Would definitely reduce wear and tear on his body throwing 1 inning at a time instead of starter work load
At 32, isn”t it time he Dodgers realize that as an elite hitter, he has much more of a chance to sidestep injuries that might be brought on by pitching and hitting, whether its as a starter or receiver…..you forget that he still has to throw on off days, and warm up in the bullpen as a closer and its always just 1 pitch that can lead to injuries as easily as injuries begot by wear and tear of 150+ innings…..
Every player is 1 pitch away from injury lol
You forget players running on offense and defense also suffer injuries
They also have to warm up and keep loose during games and on off days as well taking fielding practice and batting practice
Pitchers get hurt about 34% MORE than position players and those injuires usually require 2-3x the amount of recovery time. Position players are also almost 2x more likely than a primary DH to get hurt.
Basically, if Ohtani suffer another elbow injury his career is probably over. And any kinda injury is going to change his pitching motion, which leads to arm injuries.
I hope they get every penny of the 2 million value he’s on the books for This year
Actually $46 million for luxury tax purposes, which is what really matters.
He’s made his contract ten fold bringing back to back championships to Los Angeles.
Well, he didn’t exactly do it alone. But if you want a real answer to the question of what Ohtani brings to the Dodgers, try attending a game at Dodger Stadium. It will be right in front of you.
To Basebombs:Not sure of that. but one of the best!
And people want a salary cap like players won’t game that system in whatever way they can too. Ohtani got not only deferrals but major endorsements for playing for the dodgers that he wouldn’t have gotten for playing for, say, Minnesota. Salary cap won’t change superteams, players take less to play for who they want to play for all the time
Harder to game a salary cap.
In the NFL they kick the can down the road using restructuring and converting money into guarantees but all that does is push the bill down the road making cap hits of players significantly larger with each restructure
Mahomes restructured his contract 4 different times. And starting in 2027 he has
90, 85, 82, 74, 65, 68, 70 cap hits
Ohtani makes many millions of $$$ in endorsements in Japan each year that he could’ve deferred the piddly $2 million he gets from his Dodgers contract each year. The deferred income is like an annuity that pays him millions after he retires.
He should just quit pitching like Bonds said. He can throw in the playoffs for an inning or two if need be. He’s a very good pitcher, but he’s a generational hitter
What a dumb take
If the injuries continue to mount up, it has to be considered. It’s the same consideration that comes in the careers of the best hitting catchers. Preserving their body so they can hit vs maximizing the value of having a great hitter that plays a premium position.
Premature? Perhaps. Dumb? No.
That was definitely a dumb take.
Ohtani has a 1.79 era this season and let’s have him only hit.
What are you, an angels fan?
Basebombs…When was the last time Ohtani pitched a full season and how many has he pitched since coming to mlb?
And you’re ignoring the wear and tear over time, remember he’s 32 now not 23, that comes with that 1.79 ERA and how do those innings affect his hitting going forward.
1.79 era isn’t pitching any time soon
If pitching risks further knee issues and threatens his ability to also hit, which also requires your knees. Yeah don’t pitch him.
That is Why i felt he had a chance at Cy Young!
Eh. I agree on him being a fulltime hitter/ OF and quit pitching. He seems to never pitch a full season. I think his career high is like 165 innings and he did that once.
It is not like LA needs him to pitch. They will just buy another starter.
its not a dumb take considering hes only pitched 3 complete seasons and that was with the angels i believe. he gets hurt a lot from pitching. i would say maybe from starting. if he came out of the bullpen, it might be different. but i agree he should focus on hitting since hes unstoppable there.
He’s not a generational hitter. Might as well count JD Martinez as a generational hitter.
Ohtani is gonna need at least another 4-5 seasons without any regression before calling him a generational hitter.
Easier said than done. The sports world in general has a problem just assuming guys who play well for a few years will carry it for an entire career. There’s so many players that have had great 5 year stretches.
Could he be a generational hitter? It’s possible but premature so let’s honestly just stop with the exaggerations until these players have actually put in the time to have these labels (I know it won’t stop but one can dream)
Well said, but all of these baseball guru’s who comment are always ready to anoint super-stardom and HOF surety to any player that has a good/great year, rather than wait to see over the career whether those claims actually hold up…..that’s partially why the average MLB player hits .240 and is considered a star as long as he hits 20 HR’s and pitchers who can’t get to the 6th inning also…..
Name another player with a 50-50 season. He is absolutely a generational hitter. He is top 3 every year.
He is an elite pitcher as well. Any innings they get from him are icing on the cake. He is also the biggest star in the game so the team probably isn’t making the decision for him.
He did that 50-50 season ONCE. And he was able to do that cause he was hurt from pitching. Hes gonna need to get close to that more than once in order for it to not be a fluke.
Name another player that has done it.
You completely missed the point there bud. If he does it once, it’s an aberration. If he gets close to it multiple years in a row, then it’s what he does. As it stands, he’s done it once and probably won’t get close to it again.
The definition of a generational hitter is doing something better than anyone else in a generation. For baseball that is what 15 years?
No one from any other generation in the history of the sport has a 50-50 season. That is trans-generational talent right there. By itself it makes him a generational hitter.
it just means he had ONE generational sesason. and its only because his throwing arm was hurt. if he was pitching he wouldnt be able to do it. Ricky Henderson was generational. He didnt just get to 50 stolen bases once and people considered him a generational base stealer. you ohtani simps need to keep things in perspective. just cause he does something once doesnt make him the best ever at it.
Stolen Bases Per Season:
2018 (Angels): 10
2019 (Angels): 12
2020 (Angels): 7
2021 (Angels): 26
2022 (Angels): 11
2023 (Angels): 20
2024 (Dodgers): 59
2025 (Dodgers): 20
2026 (Dodgers): 6 (in progress)
oh man, thats definitely a generational base stealer if ive seen one. LMAO
No one brought up Ohtani’s base-stealing stats, so I’m not sure why you went on that silly little tangent
Do you understand the 50-50 stat he’s referring to? Homers and Stolen Bases. I don’t need to say anything else. You’ve embarrassed your bloodline enough.
@Braves
There are none so blind as those who will not see.
He’s an elite generational pitcher too. Dodgers would never be as foolish to not let him pitch. They’ll just continue to manage his workload to keep him fresh. LA has done a great job with keeping him on the field these last few years.
Comfrey…I’m a fan of Ohtani, but My take is he’s a great pitcher when he can pitch, which hasn’t been often these past few years. Same for Snell. I just don’t see how you can call either generational when they’re barely pitching year in and year out.
Snell. one of the most overpaid players in baseball. Reminds me of my Woody. Too many years for potential, not actual wins and games and innings. If you are not dependable you are not valuable.
Ohtani wants to pitch and insists on pitching. His balky knee gives management the reason to move him off the mound and make him take some off days.
This is the key. Ohtani can’t insist on anything, but he views himself more as a pitcher than a hitter. The Dodgers I am sure want him to do both, while knowing that they are dealing with a once-in-forever type of athlete. Experience with other players isn’t going to give them much information on how to best manage this talent. But just as Some Guy on the Internet. He always knows.
He wasn’t even a good pitcher in Japan. He’s just a spectacle. He doesn’t even have a handful of season where he’s made every start. Stop yourself.
Common man!
I was referring to fan who said he was not a good pitcher in Japan.
Sorry dude, I’m not trying to dump on the guy, but the proofs in the pudding. Go look at his stats. Era, innings pitched, etc. only things he’s consistent at is pitching less than 160 innings and getting hurt.
His body can’t maintain it but he’s somehow tricked everyone to thinking he’s been this juggernaut. Only on the hitting side.
I mean, you did sound very offended when Ohtani was mentioned as being generational. Bringing up Rickey Henderson and resorting to calling people “Ohtani simps”
You mean the kind of offended that starts replying to someone with nonsense answers to questions that weren’t asked? Sit this one out.
Oh and feel free to chime in with something proving me wrong.
I liked the bloodline comment that was pretty dang funny.
Ohtani is probably the greatest player in history. It is just funny watching dingle berries try to deny that with empty arguments. No one has done what this guy is doing. I hope we get to see him continue for a long time.
Homie, you’re definitely delusional. Every kid in the US was told to choose between pitching or playing the outfield in little league. The sheer number of people capable of it just in the US alone would make Ohtani seem even more like a sideshow. Did you know Judge lead his highschool in pitching and hitting? Even a no-hitter I believe. With a .088 era. So stop yourself.
You Ohtani deniers are just crackpots I say!
You’re right anyone could do it if they really wanted to.
About 10% of starting pitchers reach 160 innings. 90% of them get hurt.
None of them hit.
Lol tell me you haven’t actually looked at how many innings he’s pitched without telling me you haven’t looked. Don’t worry I’ll wait. LOL
Late thanks for the joke support. I chuckled as well lol
We’re all just here to have fun right!? Different opinions are ok even from Ohtani Deniers!
Ha ha. ‘Merica ! No one can be better at baseball !
Simple Question. Why isn’t the J league filled with players hitting and pitching ?
i genuinely hope so. i dont like dumping on people for enjoying players but when it gets to to silly heights it makes me look at stats and see the real stories. and i will keep saying it, the guy hits like a total monster. i love watching him hit. i have every bit of confidence he could play a defensive position (besides pitcher, which he is an elite defending pitcher) to perfection and draw just as much fandom doing so.
lol at silly heights. Ha ha. Sure.
Diagnosed as his catcher is injured. As soon as will smith is back, shonei will pitch.
Smith has been on the IL for more than a month, so why wasn’t Ohtani shut down until now?
After viewing the confrontational Dalton Rushing visit to the mound while Ohtani was pitching a couple of weeks ago, you may have a point.
I think the physical demands of being a two way player might be hurting him. He should just focus more on hitting.
easy now, dont go speaking logic in here. the emotional ones will take it as a slight to their god.
I’ll keep that in mind 😉
Your guys suggestion is just something no baseball gm would ever do and keep his job. Much of Ohtani’s value is the draw of being a unicorn plus his starts on the mound draw huge too. Anyone who benched ohtani long term on any part of the field wouldn’t keep their job long
So he’s just a circus spectacle. Good. Doesn’t matter if he stays healthy from it, just as long as he’s out there. What a terrible take. He’d draw more attention being a superstar fielder and hitter.
That’s really unfortunate for every fool who thought Shohei would win the Cy Young this year. It’s time for him to become a reliever or just give up pitching entirely
I think relieving might be more difficult because he would have to warm up during the game which could interfere with hitting
Guilty!
He hurt his knee trying to steal. Let him hit AND pitch for as long as he can/wants. Just love seeing this unicorn doing that. How in the heck can you so called baseball fans want it any other way?
So you’re saying he just shouldn’t be allowed to run the bases!
Is it worth risking him for aggressive baserunning? Hard to hold the stud down!
We need to be able to pinch run for him while keeping him in the game to hit again.
Saving him for the playoffs?
Has he reached the “two-player” status this year to satisfy MLB rules?
It’s hard to fathom why anyone would not want to enjoy something so special, something none of us has ever witnessed it before. It has to be envy. Even Babe Ruth did not do what Ohtani is doing. The Dodgers are managing things perfectly. Shohei wants to pitch and they manage when. As fans, we win. Why suggest he make a choice between the two prematurely? If pitching related injuries keep piling up, the choice will be made eventually. I hope that day is far down the road or never has to be made. I’m a Dodgers fan, but I can honestly say if Ohtani was on any other team, I’d be rooting for him. It’s too cool seeing something no one else has been able to do at the highest level. Why would you want to end that?
Yes, this. We are witnessing something right here, right now, that no fans in the history of the game have ever seen before. Do try to enjoy it, at least a little. Some day, decades from now, you’ll be able to tell your grandkids all about.
Saving him for money time.
His dream of winning a Cy Young isn’t over, but he’s running out of career. If he can’t do it in ’27 or ’28, then he’s probably a (very good) part-time starter going forward. Still unreal.
Agree!
The life and concerns of a team with all the money in the world is just different than a regular one. For any other team, this would be a lost season, but the Dodgers just have other 8 figure a year players to plug in.
I feel sorry for him. He really wanted to win SY Young award and had a good chance at it.
Lol no he didnt have a good chance. He’s way down in innings pitched compared to every other qualified pitcher. Hes not good enough and can’t stay healthy enough to put together a cy young caliber season.
You make a good point. However, was more feasible than all of the Bluejays making the final all star vote!
Watching Shohei hit and/or pitch are absolute joys. It’s amazing to me that some people who call themselves baseball fans can feel otherwise.
If you think of them as unfulfilled folks who find solace in being toxic on the internet and happens to like baseball, it’s becomes more tolerable.
@Bleacher
I was at the three Yankees-Dodger games this past weekend and some of the things I heard from “fans” were astounding, in the negative of course. The vitriol of some is beyond the pale although the vast majority of Yank fans actually keep their passion within civilized bounds.
All of that said, there is still nothing quite like a Yankees-Dodgers series.
Is he a great player? Sure. Do I respect his abilities? Sure. Do I respect the person he is? No. He blatantly came up with a way to cheat the system in the one place that could get away with it. His contract is immoral and shouldn’t be valid. Deferring 91% of a contract to circumvent the rules isn’t right. He will be back in Japan banking all that deferred money tax free. I don’t care that it counts as $46 million per season against the luxury tax, it looks like $2 million per season so they can sign lots of other overpaid guys and get around paying like everyone else. MLB loves it because they can make sure LA wins the World Series in all 10 years of his BS deal, and they make billions off the Asian market.
I’m glad that there are so many retirement planners and life coaches here showing up to support Shohei Ohtani. He will be forever indebted to you all.
“Honestly, a lot of it is where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,” Roberts said, referring to how Los Angeles is cruising towards another NL West title. “Could he probably do it? Sure. But right now, the benefits just [don’t] seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot to then pitch.”
This is why the Dodgers win championships and the Yankees go home.
How’s Error in Judgement doing?
Play through an injury and you get to sit at home.
Sit. Stay. Good boy.
Thank you for this great talk and chat! Goodbye, Time to hit the Road to County Stadum! LOL!
Makes sense that they defer his pitching until later.
I wonder which team called the othef first? Dodgers or tigers?
Must be nice. Must be real freaking nice!
Dodgers lead the game in load management. They have the cash to acquire and utilise a B rotation that won’t hurt them. Giving him a recharge so he is fit and fresh for the latter stages. Got it covered.
That is the essence. Ohtani and Snell by design are preserved for October. Load management for players making high AAV is a luxury nearly every other team can’t afford. Lethal combo of best FO and vast resources to take advantage of system.
Yep. They use the cash well. Leading the game in all areas.