Shohei Ohtani’s Dodgers pitching return is put on ice
The Dodgers pushed back Shohei Ohtani’s scheduled Wednesday start after he had his knee drained over the All-Star break.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
Shohei Ohtani’s next turn on the mound is on hold, with the Dodgers backing away from a planned Wednesday start while their two-way star manages a knee issue.
Ohtani had fluid drained from his knee during the All-Star break, according to CBS Sports. He has remained in the Dodgers’ lineup as the designated hitter, but manager Dave Roberts told reporters Sunday that the pitching side of his job will wait.
“It’s gonna be some time, and I’d say that it’s not gonna be a day-to-day thing,” Roberts said, according to MLB.com.
Roberts also said the club wants to give the knee more time to improve, according to The Athletic: “We just want to continue to give (the knee) the best chance to get into a good spot.”
Still hitting, just not pitching
The Dodgers have not pulled Ohtani out of the batting order. CBS Sports reported that he served as the club’s designated hitter and leadoff batter Friday, then was listed in the same role for the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader.
That split tells the story of Ohtani’s strange baseball reality. His knee is enough of a concern to stop a pitching start, but not enough to keep him from hitting at the top of the order.
The delay also lands against the backdrop of Ohtani’s managed return to pitching after Tommy John surgery. CBS Sports reported that he threw 67 1/3 innings last season, his first year back on the mound, and did not make a minor league rehab start because he and the Dodgers focused on getting him back into the lineup as a full-time designated hitter.
This season, Ohtani has already reached 85 2/3 innings as a pitcher, according to CBS Sports. That workload gives the Dodgers another reason to be careful, especially with October still the larger target.
Dodgers can afford caution
The Dodgers entered this stretch with a 12-game lead in the National League West, according to CBS Sports. That cushion gives the two-time defending champions room to ease off Ohtani’s pitching schedule rather than rush him back for one regular-season start.
His value as a hitter also complicates the usual injury decision. CBS Sports noted that a typical starter with this kind of issue might be placed on the injured list to manage workload, but Ohtani’s bat keeps him in play even when he is not pitching.
The rotation picture is still worth watching. CBS Sports reported that Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are on the injured list, while there are concerns around several other Dodgers starters.
With the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaching, CBS Sports raised the possibility that Los Angeles could look for a front-line starter. For now, the immediate move is simpler: Ohtani stays in the lineup, and his next pitching start waits.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS Sports.