Dodgers Remove Shohei Ohtani From Rotation Indefinitely in Major Injury Announcement

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani will be a one-way player for the foreseeable future.

On Sunday, manager Dave Roberts revealed that Ohtani was still feeling discomfort in his knee after his catch play over the weekend, and thus, the Dodgers have decided to pause his pitching for "some time" to allow him to fully heal.

“I would say that it’s going to be some time,” Roberts said Sunday morning. “It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing.”

Ohtani, who hasn't pitched since July 3 due to knee inflammation, is expected to miss multiple turns in the rotation. Exactly how long remains to be seen.

“The rotation can keep going forward without Shohei, for the time being,” Roberts said. “I can’t speak to how long that’s going to be.”

Ohtani will still be the team's everyday designated hitter. He revealed earlier this month that the knee injury impacted him more as a pitcher than hitter.

“I believe it’s more of a wear and tear,” Ohtani said last week. “But in terms of the knee, I think it’s more of my pitching mechanics. That’s something I need to work on.”

“He did this pitching,” Roberts said Sunday. “When he does swing the bat, it’s the back knee versus the land knee, where you’re kind of driving off of it to create torque when you pitch. And so there’s no feeling of any sensation or any reason why we feel like we gotta stop hitting, no.”

While Ohtani will be removed from the rotation for the foreseeable future, the Dodgers plan on keeping the six-man rotation intact. For now, the team will use bullpen games and spot starters without a clear No. 6 starter.

Roberts admitted that Ohtani likely could pitch at this point, but with the team holding a double-digit lead in the National League West, they're able to exercise caution.

“Honestly, a lot of it is where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,” Roberts said. “Could he probably do it? Sure. But right now, the benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot to then pitch.”

“I think that’s why we’re trying to be a little bit more on the proactive side," he added. "So we don’t have to worry about it throughout the end of the season.”

So for now, Ohtani will just be a hitter, and the Dodgers suddenly have some question marks in the starting rotation.

While Blake Snell started a rehab assignment and Tyler Glasnow is getting closer to going on one, the Dodgers don't have any clear rotation reinforcements for at least the next month.

Whether that pushes the front office to add a starting pitcher ahead of the deadline remains to be seen.

Roberts did say he expects Ohtani to pitch again this season, but admitted that "I guess anything is possible."

“The first step is getting him into a spot where he feels like, and we feel like, he can pitch and not regress,” Roberts said.

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