President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman reiterated Wednesday that the Dodgers expect Ohtani to pitch again this season, with Friedman noting that the two-way player's right biceps soreness is a lesser concern than his inflamed left knee, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. "If it weren't for the knee, [Ohtani] would be pitching right now," Friedman said.
Per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports, Ohtani is throwing plyometric balls to limit the force on his left knee, after the Dodgers decided to postpone his scheduled bullpen session over the weekend. The Dodgers are confident that the four-time MVP will start playing catch again soon, which would put him on track to be ready to pitch by season's end. Ohtani hasn't made a start as a pitcher since July 3 but has continued to handle an everyday role at designated hitter while he recovers from the knee issue.