Amid a series of injuries, Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is taking a break. The two-way player was left out of the Dodgers’ lineup ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Seattle Mariners.
With Ohtani resting, Teoscar Hernández is stepping in as the designated hitter. Utility player Kiké Hernádez, who was activated off the injured list earlier this week, will play left field.
Ohtani has been dealing with several injuries in recent weeks and missed the All-Star Game due to irritation in his left knee. The injuries have kept the normally two-way player off the mound for almost a month, with Ohtani’s most recent pitching start coming on July 3.
Although he returned to the Dodgers’ lineup after receiving a lubricant injection in that knee over the break, a “regression” led the team to delay Ohtani’s return to the mound last weekend. On Tuesday, Ohtani revealed that he is also dealing with a biceps issue.
Ohtani, who had hoped to chase his first Cy Young Award this season, is out of the Dodgers’ rotation until further notice. However, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman downplayed the severity of Ohtani’s biceps injury on Wednesday, saying that the four-time MVP would be pitching if his knee were at 100 percent and that the Dodgers plan to get him back on the mound this season, via The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
The injury appears to be severe enough to warrant Ohtani taking a break at the plate as well, at least for now.
This story will be updated.
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