Dodgers 'Concerned' With Shohei Ohtani's Knee Injury: Report

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been closely watching two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani over the last few weeks as he deals with an ongoing knee injury that he suffered in mid-June.

Ohtani was removed from the starting rotation indefinitely, with the knee bothering him more as a pitcher than a hitter. The issue forced the star to miss the All-Star Game, with him getting a lubricant injection in his knee.

Over the weekend in New York, Ohtani had a scheduled bullpen session, but it ended up being canceled due to an unfortunate development in his return. Ohtani reportedly didn't feel great after a Wednesday bullpen, so the Dodgers didn't push him.

The star seems to be at least weeks out from rejoining the rotation, and there has been some concern with the knee. Dodgers insider Katie Woo of The Athletic provided more insight into the injury that's been plaguing Ohtani.

"Though it appears Ohtani is weeks from rejoining the rotation, there is an internal concern over his lingering left knee soreness," Woo wrote. "Ohtani did not throw a bullpen Saturday at Citi Field, though that session was considered fluid. The thought was that if Ohtani had recovered from his previous bullpen session Wednesday in Philadelphia, Saturday would be the best day for a second one.

"But Ohtani did not feel he was at full strength, and the Dodgers won’t push him to throw another one until he feels 100 percent. Should Ohtani rush a comeback, he risks overcompensating, which could lead to other issues not as treatable as the team believes his knee is."

The Dodgers are taking a cautious approach with Ohtani, making sure that he is fully healed before he gets back on the mound. The issue doesn't seem overly serious to the Dodgers, but the team wants to avoid any further problems.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3, but he has remained in the lineup as the designated hitter. The knee reportedly hasn't impacted him offensively, although his numbers say otherwise.

“From his words — the hitting, the running as he has done the last couple nights, doesn’t affect him,” manager Dave Roberts said. “I can only go by what he and the training staff is telling me. So unless I hear otherwise — that hitting compromises his health — then I’m going to keep putting him in the lineup."

Ohtani has made 14 starts this year, registering a 1.79 ERA over 85.2 innings with 95 strikeouts.

Will Shohei Ohtani Pitch Again in 2026?

The Dodgers do expect Ohtani to pitch again this season, but when that will be remains in question. Given the injury and the time needed to ramp up, the best guess would be sometime in mid-to-late August for Ohtani to get back on the mound.

Both the Dodgers and Ohtani are looking ahead to the upcoming postseason, emphasizing winning another title. So rushing Ohtani back isn't in the cards, and he will be allowed to take as long as needed to heal.

“Honestly, I think it’s just to be fluid with Shohei,” Roberts said. “I think that’s the beauty of where we’re at right now. We’re not going to push him. There’s constant conversation going on each day. But the main thing is with Shohei and this pitching thing is to remain nimble.”

“Every player wants to get back out there and do what they do," he added. "But I think he understands that it’s not about July, it’s about October. We’ve already taken a lot of time to get him back to full health so we’re not going to start earlier than we need to.”

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