Diamondbacks Won't Have to Face Shohei Ohtani After Surprise Scratch

No Ohtani (as a pitcher) for the Diamondbacks Friday night.

Jun 24, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on before delivering a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Arizona Diamondbacks will miss one of the toughest starting pitchers in baseball on Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, following a surprising announcement from the Dodgers.

Shohei Ohtani, who has been one of the top arms in the majors — as any baseball fan well knows — has been scratched from his previously-scheduled start against Arizona in the Friday night series opener at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani, per Dodgers communications, is dealing with what is being described as "continued irritation in his left knee." This will also preclude him from participating in the All-Star Game.

From Dodgers Communications…

SHOHEI OHTANI UPDATE
 
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Dodger Shohei Ohtani will not make his scheduled start on the mound this evening against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to continued irritation in his left knee. He will serve as the designated hitter…

— Jody Jackson (@Jody_Jackson) July 10, 2026

This development will not stop Ohtani from playing in this three-game series and serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter, however. Arizona will not be completely free of him this weekend. But they won't have to face him on the mound.

Instead, it will be right-hander Kyle Hurt, who will all but certainly be the opener for a bullpen game. Hurt has not pitched more than 1.1 innings in any appearance this season.

Los Angeles may try to push Hurt to provide some length, but will likely turn to some combination of right-hander Will Klein or left-hander Jack Dreyer to pitch the bulk innings.

Diamondbacks to miss Shohei Ohtani on the mound

Jun 24, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Missing Ohtani on the mound will certainly help Arizona's chances in this game, however. He currently holds a 1.79 ERA and an 8-2 record. He shut down the Diamondbacks over six innings the last time he faced Arizona.

So it won't be a matchup between two All-Star starting pitchers on Friday night. Eduardo Rodriguez, who is a first-time All-Star and one of the Diamondbacks' two representatives for the midsummer classic, will pitch for Arizona on Friday night. But he won't have to match up with one of the most challenging arms in the sport.

The Diamondbacks are hoping to gather some steam heading into the break. After coming out of their four-game series with the San Diego Padres with a 2-2 split, the D-backs are 46-47 and trying hard to climb back into the playoff race.

The Dodgers are a tough team, but Arizona did earn a 2-2 split with their NL West rivals in their most recent four-game set at Chase Field. That success did not occur in the first series of the 2026 regular season, however, in which the Dodgers took all three games at Dodger Stadium.

Still, the Diamondbacks have played LA mostly close all season. And now they'll receive a blow from facing a brutally-tough arm.