Shohei Ohtani is not in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup on Thursday, as injury worries continue to mount around the star’s health.
It is Ohtani’s first day off in more than a month. The Dodgers have Tommy Edman in his usual leadoff spot and fourth outfielder Alex Call serving as designated hitter.
The decision to sit Ohtani comes a day after a four-strikeout performance against the St. Louis Cardinals, during which his swing was visibly compromised.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed what everyone was seeing after the game:
I saw the shaking of the arm. I saw wincing. Clearly the swings aren’t who he is. Obviously, there’s some compensation … Things are compromised. Clearly, tonight, you could see the swing wasn’t the swing that we’re used to seeing. He’s not close to optimal, tonight.”
Roberts said the Dodgers’ athletic training staff and leadership would review the situation Thursday. When asked about the possibility of a stint on the injured list, Roberts said he was hesitant to say anything was coming, but acknowledged it was a “possibility.”
Ohtani has not been placed on the injured list in three seasons with the Dodgers, even while recovering from internal brace surgery in his elbow during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Shohei Ohtani has not looked himself recently.
(Ronaldo Bolaños via Getty Images)
There were already concerns about Ohtani’s health before Wednesday’s game, as Roberts said shutting him down as a pitcher for the rest of the season was “an option.” Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 and received a lubricant injection in his left knee over the All-Star break. There was some hope he could return to the mound last Sunday, but a shaky bullpen session the previous Friday put a stop to that.
The Dodgers don’t really need Ohtani as a pitcher so long as their quartet of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are all healthy when the postseason begins. However, that knee issue and a corresponding biceps issue affecting his hitting represents a significant problem for a lineup that has struggled significantly in the past few months.
Since his last pitching start, Ohtani is slashing .263/.344/.526. Good numbers for the vast majority of players, but not by the standard he has so far set with the Dodgers.
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