Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani May Not Be Done Missing Games With Injury

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani could continue to miss games this month despite returning to the lineup on Monday night against the Cincinnati Reds.

Manager Dave Roberts explained that the Dodgers will likely take a cautious approach to managing his injuries as the regular season comes to an end.

“I think that just being open to potentially, give him a day or here or there, along with a schedule, is something that I think should be looked at,” Roberts said.

It's unclear how many games Ohtani could miss as the regular season winds down and the Dodgers look to keep him fresh. He admitted he's not 100% healthy.

“As long as I’m playing in games, it’s not exactly the best way to recover and heal,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. “Of course, the best mode of recovery is to completely not play. But right now I just want to make sure that I’m playing, playing well and just focusing on the now.”

A slew of injuries has kept the four-time MVP out of action. From left knee soreness to right biceps discomfort and neck issues, it's become a legitimate concern, which is why the Dodgers have been extremely cautious regarding their superstar.

Ohtani missed the four games leading up to Monday because of the various injuries he has dealt with this season. While he isn't exactly 100%, he has still appeared in 130 games in 2026. The bigger concern, however, is that it has been a little over two months since he last pitched.

Will Shohei Ohtani Pitch Again in 2026?

The last time Ohtani was on the mound was on his 32nd birthday, July 3. Since then, he has yet to sniff an MLB mound, and it's possible he doesn't grace one for the rest of the 2026 season.

Ohtani was blunt when asked if he would pitch again this season. He told reporters that he would be "disappointed" if that were the case, but acknowledged the possibility.

“I’m confident that my overall performance should be better moving forward,” Ohtani said. “I think the thing that I was more focused on was making sure that the pitching wouldn’t cause the worse scenario, which was for me to not be able to play at all.”

As for Roberts, he isn't ruling it out entirely, but he also isn't providing a timeline for when Ohtani would return.

"We have no timetable for when he's gonna pick up a baseball," Roberts said. "[But] I'm choosing not to say it's dead [yet]."

The last time Ohtani threw a bullpen session was on Aug. 28. He was supposed to start on Aug. 30, but didn't due to not feeling great.

Ohtani would have pitched only one inning and gradually built up his arm strength, but that did not happen.

As of Tuesday, the Dodgers have 18 games remaining in the 2026 schedule before the postseason begins.

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