Ohtani (biceps) is considered day-to-day as he battles a pair of injuries, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports.
Ohtani is not in the starting lineup for Thursday's series finale with the Cardinals as he continues to battle through lingering left knee discomfort and an additional right biceps issue. Manager Dave Roberts outlined that the 30-year-old's availability off the bench Thursday and his status for Friday's series opener with the Nationals will depend on further conversations with the team's training staff. Roberts views a stint on the injured list as unlikely, but "not impossible."
Ohtani is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Cardinals amid knee and biceps discomfort.
After Wednesday's 8-6 loss to the Cardinals, manager Dave Roberts made it sound likely that Ohtani could get the day off Thursday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reported. Ohtani appeared to show physical discomfort in his four strikeout performance Wednesday as he is dealing with soreness in his left knee and right biceps. It remains to be seen how many games the superstar may rest until he rejoins the lineup. As for Thursday, Tommy Edman is batting leadoff while Alex Call is starting as the designated hitter.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: No clear timeline to resume pitching
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts admitted Wednesday that he's uncertain if Ohtani will pitch again this season while the two-way superstar manages left knee and right biceps soreness, Associated Press reports.
Ohtani, who hasn't pitched in a game since July 3 due to lingering soreness in his left knee and right biceps, appeared poised to make his return to the mound last weekend, but he was scratched from a potential start Sunday against the Tigers after he didn't feel healthy coming out of a 20-pitch bullpen session Friday. Roberts noted that until Ohtani throws another bullpen session, the Dodgers won't have a good feel for the next step in his pitching progression, with the skipper going as far as saying that using Ohtani exclusively as a designated hitter for the rest of the season is "an option." The Dodgers may soon consider giving Ohtani a day off from hitting as well. After Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in Wednesday's 8-6 extra-inning loss to the Cardinals, Roberts said that he plans to meet with the training staff and Ohtani on Thursday as the Dodgers "really try to figure out where he's at physically," per Beth Harris of the Associated Press.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Next pitching appearance delayed
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Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Ohtani (knee/biceps) won't pitch in Sunday's series finale against Detroit or Tuesday against the Cardinals, Noah Camras of SI.com reports.
The Dodgers skipper said before Saturday's game against the Tigers that the team was less sure Ohtani would pitch Sunday after he didn't feel well coming out of his bullpen session Friday, and now he has officially been ruled out to pitch in either of Los Angeles' next two games. Roberts noted that the team hasn't decided whether to completely shut Ohtani down from pitching, though there is no planned return date for his next mound appearance. Tyler Glasnow will take the mound to begin Sunday's series finale, and Eric Lauer will likely get the nod to start Tuesday.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Faces hitters Saturday
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Ohtani (knee) threw a 30-pitch live batting practice session Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
For the first time since making his last appearance as a pitcher July 3, Ohtani faced off against hitters in what marked a major milestone in his recovery from a lingering left knee issue and a more minor triceps injury. Manager Dave Roberts said afterward that Ohtani will likely need to throw one more live BP before getting cleared to pitch in games, but the two-way superstar doesn't seem to be too far away from doing so. Once he's eventually ready to start as a pitcher, Ohtani will likely be operating with a restricted workload and could need to be piggybacked.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Could be ready for live BP
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Ohtani (knee) threw a scheduled bullpen session Tuesday, which appeared to go well, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani threw another bullpen following his last session Friday. The 32-year-old said Friday that his left knee did not bother him during that day's activity, and he gave manager Dave Roberts a thumbs-up following his session Tuesday. Considering his recent progress, facing live hitters may be on the horizon.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Homers twice in Monday's win
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Ohtani went 4-for-5 with two homers, three total RBI and four total runs scored in Monday's 11-5 win over the Rockies.
Ohtani blasted off twice, crushing a solo homer off Tomoyuki Sugano in the fifth inning before taking Juan Mejia deep for a two-run shot in the sixth frame. It was a big offensive performance for the two-way star, who's slashing .317/.377/.619 with five homers, 11 RBI, 11 runs and a stolen base through 16 games in August. Overall, Ohtani is hitting .295/.392/.556 with 29 homers, 78 RBI, 81 runs and seven stolen bases across 120 contests.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Tossing side session Tuesday
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Ohtani is scheduled to throw another bullpen session Tuesday, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani stated Monday that his knee felt healthy following Friday's bullpen session, and he's optimistic that the injury is a thing of the past. Assuming all goes according to plan Tuesday, the 32-year-old will continue to ramp back up as a pitcher with the hope of returning to the mound down the stretch of the regular season and in the playoffs.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Throws bullpen Friday
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Ohtani threw a bullpen session prior to Friday's game against the Brewers, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
It's Ohtani's first bullpen session in over three weeks, a positive step in his throwing progression as he continues to work through a knee injury as well as a right biceps issue. He hasn't pitched since July 3, but Ohtani could be available to pitch toward the tail end of the regular season and in the playoffs. The injuries haven't prevented Ohtani from serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter, and he's gone 14-for-47 (.298) with one steal, three home runs and seven RBI across 12 games in August.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes yard twice at Wrigley
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Ohtani went 3-for-5 with two home runs and three RBI in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Cubs.
In a battle between NL MVP contenders, Ohtani and Pete Crow-Armstrong each left the yard twice, but it was the latter who came out on top. Ohtani remains limited to DH duties due to knee and bicep issues, but they are hardly slowing him down at the plate. He's hit safely in nine straight games, batting .457 (16-for-35) during that blistering stretch with four of his 26 homers on the year.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Set to play catch this week
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that Ohtani (knee/biceps) is expected to play catch in Chicago this week, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani continues to serve as the Dodgers' everyday designated hitter, but he hasn't made a start as a pitcher since July 3 as a result of left knee inflammation and right biceps soreness. Despite having his throwing program halted on a couple of occasions, the Dodgers remain confident that Ohtani will be able to rejoin the rotation before the end of the regular season. The Dodgers will see how Ohtani's knee and biceps respond to playing catch before deciding if he's fit to get back on the mound to throw a bullpen session.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Two extra-base hits in loss
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Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double and a second run scored in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Red Sox.
Ohtani was held out of the lineup Thursday due to his ongoing bout of left knee inflammation, while continues to keep him from pitching. He's made up for it with plenty of success at the plate lately -- he's 10-for-25 (.400) with two homers, five doubles and seven RBI over his last six games as a hitter. For the season, the superstar is batting .291 with a .939 OPS, 24 homers, 67 RBI, 70 runs scored, 22 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 104 contests. Ohtani should continue to be reliable in terms of power and rate stats as long as he can play through the knee issue, but don't expect him to add much in terms of speed while he's less than 100 percent healthy.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Back in lineup
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Ohtani (knee) will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff Friday against the Red Sox.
Ohtani sat out Thursday's contest to give his inflamed left knee a chance to heal, but he now seems to be feeling well enough to play in Friday's series opener. The two-way star hasn't appeared on the mound since July 3 because of his knee but hasn't been impacted much as a hitter, slashing .265/.326/.518 with five homers, 15 RBI and eight runs scored across 92 plate appearances in July.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Sitting due to knee soreness
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Ohtani is not in the starting lineup Thursday against Seattle as a result of left knee soreness, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ohtani has been dealing with an ongoing knee issue for over a month, and the Dodgers decided to give their superstar a day off. Manager Dave Roberts is "very confident" that the 32-year-old will be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener at home versus Boston.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Omitted from lineup Thursday
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Ohtani is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Mariners, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani has appeared in all 11 games as a hitter since the All-Star break despite ongoing soreness in his right biceps and inflammation in his left knee. The issues have caused the superstar to put a pause on pitching, and sitting Thursday is likely just a day for him to rest up. As he sits, Teoscar Hernandez is starting as the designated hitter while Enrique Hernandez is inserted in left field.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Biceps issue downplayed
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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.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Starring role on offense in loss
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Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and three total RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Mariners.
Ohtani had been a little quiet lately, going nine games without a homer after the All-Star break. He changed that tune early Tuesday with a solo shot off Luis Castillo to lead off the Dodgers' half of the first inning. Ohtani is now batting .286 with a .924 OPS, 23 homers, 64 RBI, 67 runs scored, 20 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 102 contests. He's still battling a knee injury that is keeping him off the mound, and it's safe to assume he won't be pushing too hard with speed while the knee is a concern.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani (knee) "kicked the can" on his scheduled bullpen session Saturday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
With Ohtani's knee still not feeling 100 percent after first throwing out of the bullpen Wednesday, the 31-year-old decided to cancel his slated bullpen session Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts is still confident that Ohtani will pitch again this season. Despite his knee problems, Ohtani will continue to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Throws bullpen session
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Ohtani (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani threw 31 pitches in the session and used his entire repertoire. It's the first time he's thrown off the mound since having his left knee drained and treated with a cortisone shot over the All-Star break. The next step for Ohtani isn't clear, but it's expected to be a few weeks before he's ready to make a start on the mound. Ohtani will continue serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Will not pitch this weekend
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Ohtani (knee) is not listed among the Dodgers' scheduled starting pitchers for this weekend's series against the Yankees, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani has not started a game on the mound in two weeks as he deals with a nagging left knee issue. He had the knee drained Sunday and was expected to receive an injection in the knee over the All-Star break, as well. The Dodgers haven't revealed when Ohtani's first start of the second half as a pitcher will be, but Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register speculates it could be next Wednesday in Philadelphia. Ohtani will be available to serve as a designated hitter this weekend versus the Yankees.
