Dave Roberts Reveals Why Shohei Ohtani is Out of Dodgers Lineup vs Mariners

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is surprisingly absent from the lineup for Thursday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners.

While Ohtani has been battling knee and biceps injuries, he has remained the Dodgers' everyday designated hitter.

On Thursday, that's not the case.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts spoke to reporters ahead of Thursday's game and said Ohtani is out of the lineup due to soreness in his left knee.

“Yesterday, he went in there for some treatment. So I think that talking to the training staff, it was just best to just give him a day,” Roberts said. “Just so, again, it doesn’t turn into something that it shouldn’t, that we can prevent — that’s kind of the thought.”

Dave Roberts said Ohtani is not in the lineup because soreness in his left knee. #Dodgers
— David Vassegh (@THEREAL_DV) July 30, 2026

Shohei Ohtani Injury Update

Ohtani spoke to reporters earlier this week and gave some clarity as to why he hasn't pitched since July 3 and won't for the foreseeable future.

“My biceps not 100%,” Ohtani said. “Just [a] similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July. So, I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

As for the knee injury?

“The discomfort was caused initially by the pitching,” Ohtani said. “So, it’s something I have to work around. In terms of running, I’m not exactly at 100% capacity. When I know it’s not, then it’s always a little harder to be aggressive on the base path.”

Both Roberts and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman downplayed the injuries, saying the team fully expects Ohtani to pitch again this season.

“I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely [he doesn’t pitch again],” Roberts said.

"We’re confident he’s going to come back [to pitch]," Friedman said. "Again, if there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned with that. But there’s not. And the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path and feel very confident that he will be back."

Friedman also said that the knee injury — which he first suffered in June — is what's keeping him off the mound. He said the biceps flare-up is a non-issue.

“If it weren’t for the knee, he would be pitching right now, he would be making his regular turn,” Friedman said. “We kept the arm going. Does he feel 100% in his arm? No. But neither does any pitcher in late July. But this is around the knee and making sure that we can get it to a place where there’s just no compensation."

Ohtani is hitting .289 with 23 home runs, 65 RBIs and an OPS of .931 on the season. He got off to a slow start after the All-Star break — when he received a lubricant injection in his knee — but went 5-for-9 with a home run and four RBIs over the first two games of the series against the Mariners.

How Long Will Shohei Ohtani Be Out?

Roberts said he is very confident Ohtani will be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener against the Boston Red Sox.

Add us as a preferred source on Google