Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is expected to return to the designated hitter role on Monday against the Reds, but manager Dave Roberts indicates it is unlikely he will pitch again in 2026 due to lingering injuries and a tight late-season calendar.
Dave Roberts Points to the Calendar as Ohtani’s Pitching Window Closes
Time has essentially run out for Shohei Ohtani to make his anticipated return to a major league mound this season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts addressed the two-way superstar’s status ahead of Sunday’s game, explaining that while a pitching shutdown has not been formally announced, the remaining weeks on the schedule leave no room for the necessary arm-strength buildup.
“Not officially, but obviously, if you’re looking at the calendar, how much he’s thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math.”
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
Ohtani has not pitched in a big league game since July 3, according to the reporting, hampered first by left knee soreness and later by a right biceps issue that complicated both his hitting mechanics and his pitching rehabilitation. His most recent setback occurred on August 28 in Detroit, when discomfort forced him to cut short a bullpen session that was supposed to serve as his final tune-up before an abbreviated start as an opener. That outing would have been a one-inning assignment as an opener, with the plan for Ohtani to gradually rebuild his arm strength over increasingly long stints of game action, but those plans were scuttled when he cut short that August 28 bullpen due to discomfort in his right knee specifically, and a sore right biceps.
Dating back to June, Ohtani has dealt with multiple lingering physical issues, including left knee soreness that has been the primary reason that he has not pitched since July 3. A right biceps issue first affected him as a hitter, then went on to affect his pitching ramp-up. Ohtani hasn’t thrown since a bullpen session on August 28. Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3. Roberts also downplayed the idea of Ohtani being able to throw an inning at a time as an opener, noting that That's unlikely.
With only three weeks remaining in the regular season, Roberts explained that Ohtani doesn’t have sufficient time to build up the necessary arm strength required to take the mound in the postseason.
Physical Setbacks Force a Full Halt to Recovery Throws
The physical toll of maintaining a two-way workload has proved challenging as Ohtani navigates a moving target of overlapping injuries. Beyond his knee and biceps, Roberts revealed that Ohtani was also dealing with neck discomfort during his last start on Wednesday, going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts while showing visible physical compromise.
The situation extended to Ohtani being held out of the Dodgers’ lineup entirely for the last four games, as Sunday marked the fourth straight game with Ohtani absent from the starting nine while managing health concerns. The four-time MVP was shut down from physical activity after appearing clearly physically compromised when he last played on Wednesday. According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, Ohtani has also stopped throwing pylo balls, with Roberts reporting that this update Certainly pushes it back
regarding a potential pitching timeline.
Return to the Lineup and Postseason Roster Outlook
Ohtani missed four consecutive games as the designated hitter while recovering from his latest physical flare-up, marking his longest absence from the starting lineup since signing with the Dodgers three seasons ago. However, after successfully completing a hitting routine in the batting cage on Saturday—coming away well after hitting in the cage and being available to pinch-hit on Sunday—Roberts expressed optimism about his immediate availability for Monday’s start of a three-series against the Reds.
“My expectation is he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow.”
Dave Roberts, Dodgers manager
Ohtani’s two-way status complicated matters, as he has to be placed on the 15-day injured list for pitchers rather than the 10-day IL for position players. Sunday’s action saw the Dodgers secure a 7-5 win over the Nationals at Dodger Stadium, following a 6-5 win over Washington on Saturday. General manager Brandon Gomes and team management previously resisted accepting this reality, refusing to say as recently as Thursday that Ohtani wouldn’t pitch again this season. This was supposed to be Ohtani’s first full season as a two-way player since 2023, and it has come with growing pains.
По теме
