Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Won't Play Saturday vs Padres, Could Miss Next Pitching Start With Injury

There's not much going wrong for the Los Angeles Dodgers right now as they have the best record in Major League Baseball at 58-31 and a 14-game lead in the National League West.

They're currently the only team in the division with a winning record.

On Friday, though, after they completed their seventh inning comeback against the San Diego Padres, they were dealt a scare.

Shohei Ohtani was lifted from the game for pinch-hitter Miguel Rojas.

After the game, Ohtani said the reason for the early exit was tightness in his right biceps. He also said he dealt with a similar issue earlier in the year, and expected to be good enough to play on Saturday.

That decision isn't his to make, though.

Manager Dave Roberts said after Friday's game that Ohtani wouldn't play on Saturday, and that his status Sunday (and every day moving forward) would be determined at a later date.

“We’ll give him a day to fully recover, treat it up and then at that point in time we’ll just go from there,” Roberts said. “He’s dealt with it before. He’s a quick healer and finds a way to get back.

"But I do think that for us to read and react and hear what his body is telling him is really important, given the toll it takes on his body to be a two-way player.”

Ohtani said the decision to come out of Friday's game was "precautionary," and he expected the injury to dissipate quickly, just as it did a few months ago.

However, with the Dodgers dominating as they are right now, there's little reason to push Ohtani in July when they need him healthy for October.

Because of that, Roberts said the team would consider having Ohtani skip his scheduled pitching start next week, his last one before the All-Star break.

“I think it should be on the table,” Roberts said of not having Ohtani pitch next week. “Obviously we’re not going to make that decision right now. But anything should be on the table, certainly.”

Ohtani got off to a dominant start as a pitcher this season, sporting a 0.74 ERA through his first 10 starts. Over his last four starts, however, he hasn't looked as sharp, allowing a total of 14 runs (12 earned) over 24.2 innings.

This stretch of play — combined with Ohtani pitching only once a week — makes it very unlikely that he could win the Cy Young award this season in the crowded NL. Thus, with the Dodgers running away with the NL West, it makes sense to give Ohtani some extra rest ahead of the break.

On the flip side, Ohtani isn't someone who likes to rest, and is adamant about playing every single day (and every week as a two-way player) as long as he's healthy. He made that clear after Friday's game.

“I can always play, and my desire is to always play,” Ohtani said. “I feel good enough to be able to do so.”

It will be up to Roberts and the Dodgers to decide just how long Ohtani misses for this seemingly minor biceps injury. At least for one day, though, Ohtani will get a well-deserved day off.

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