​There was a moment of relief when Shohei Ohtani finally returned to full-time pitching this season after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in 2023. That relief, however, was brief. At 32, he has endured a series of minor setbacks—including a hitting slump, left knee inflammation, and arm tightness—as he works to reestablish himself as a full-time two-way player. Now, his knee inflammation has flared again, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have plotted their course for the Japanese phenom.
Nearly six hours before his scheduled start on Friday, the Dodgers announced that Ohtani would not be pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Additionally, he will not be able to join his NL All-Star teammates in Philadelphia next week. The lingering culprit behind these developments is the same left knee irritation, prompting questions about what this means for Ohtani and the Dodgers’ October ambitions. Roberts addressed those concerns, indicating the situation does not alter the plan for the second half in terms of pitching. “I’m not sure where he is going to be slotted in after the break. So that’s something that we’re going to talk through. We have plenty of time to talk through it,” he told Dodger Blue.
Ohtani’s knee issues trace back to June 11, when inflammation flared after he attempted a stolen base against the Pittsburgh Pirates, causing him to leave the game prematurely. The 32-year-old player has a congenital condition known as bipartite patella in his knee, for which he underwent surgery in 2019, but the problem clearly remains unresolved. Although he will not pitch against the Diamondbacks, he will continue his regular duties as the designated hitter. The Dodgers released a statement outlining that he will serve as the DH for the rest of the weekend; after the series, he will undergo targeted interventions on his knee to position him for the second half of the season.
Reports indicate that Ohtani will likely have his left knee drained and receive an injection, but this time he will not be facing surgery. He has six stolen bases this season and just hit his 300th career home run against the Colorado Rockies, boasting a .290 average and a 0.939 OPS after overcoming a lengthy slump earlier in the year. Roberts also noted that with Ohtani absent and the All-Star break approaching, Friday will be treated as a bullpen game for the Dodgers, as they navigate the rest of the schedule without one of their two-way anchors.
While Ohtani may not be in the Cy Young conversation this season, his impact on the mound has been outstanding. In 14 starts, he has gone 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. The Dodgers’ overarching objective remains clear: keep Ohtani in peak condition so he can contribute at the highest level come October, when postseason play looms large.