Shohei Ohtani knee injury keeps Dodgers cautious after skipped bullpen
Dave Roberts said Ohtani skipped a planned bullpen after knee discomfort regressed, though he remains in the Dodgers lineup at DH.
By Deshawn Carter · Sports Writer
3 min read
The Shohei Ohtani knee injury watch got another careful update Saturday in New York, where the Los Angeles Dodgers star skipped a planned bullpen session while dealing with discomfort in his left knee, according to ESPN.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani had “a little bit of regression” after throwing a bullpen Wednesday. Roberts said Ohtani and the club chose caution rather than pushing the right-hander back toward the mound before both sides feel ready.
“We're going to just kick the can on that one,” Roberts said, according to ESPN. “Like I said yesterday, we're not going to move forward until he feels 100% confident, we feel 100% confident that he should do it.”
Ohtani, 32, has not pitched in a game since July 3, when ESPN reported he gave up three runs across six innings against the San Diego Padres. He had been scheduled to start later against the Philadelphia Phillies, but the Dodgers scratched him and had him throw a bullpen instead.
Why did Shohei Ohtani skip his bullpen session?
Roberts said the Dodgers held Ohtani out of the session because his left knee did not respond as hoped after Wednesday’s work. The team does not plan to advance his pitching program until Ohtani and the club are fully comfortable, Roberts said.
ESPN reported that Ohtani was one of the majors’ top pitchers in his first full season on the mound since 2023, posting a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts before the knee issue came back earlier this month.
The Dodgers previously scratched Ohtani from a start, and he did not go to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game even though he led all vote-getters, ESPN reported. He stayed focused on treatment, which included a lubricant injection on July 12, the final day before the All-Star break, according to the report.
What is bipartite patella?
Bipartite patella is a congenital condition in which the kneecap is made up of two separate bones rather than one fused bone. ESPN reported that Ohtani had a procedure on his left knee in September 2019 while he was with the Los Angeles Angels to address the condition.
Ohtani also exited a June 11 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates because of irritation in the same knee, ESPN reported. He had pitched the day before, allowing four runs over 6⅔ innings.
For now, the Dodgers say the issue is tied to pitching, not hitting or running. Roberts said Ohtani has told the team that batting and running have not been affected, and the manager said he will keep using him unless he hears that hitting is putting Ohtani’s health at risk.
That has kept Ohtani in the lineup as the designated hitter. ESPN reported he had started the Dodgers’ previous 15 games, including Saturday’s game against the New York Mets, in his usual leadoff spot.
On Friday, Ohtani went 2-for-4 with a double and tried to turn it into a triple with a full sprint before being thrown out at third, according to ESPN. He had not spoken to reporters since before the All-Star break, the outlet reported.
Entering Saturday, ESPN listed Ohtani at .286 with 22 home runs and a .920 OPS through 99 games. The outlet also described the four-time MVP as the front-runner for a third straight National League MVP award.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.