Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Suffers Setback, Won't Pitch for Foreseeable Future

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani didn't recover as well as the team would have hoped from his Wednesday bullpen session and had his Saturday bullpen session canceled in an unfortunate development in his return to pitching.

Ohtani missed his final start before the All-Star break due to his ongoing knee inflammation. He skipped All-Star festivities to get a lubricant injection in his knee.

He hasn't pitched since July 3.

“Just doesn't feel 100 percent because I think that the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression," manager Dave Roberts said to reporters on Saturday. "So we want to make sure that that doesn't happen again.”

Roberts said Ohtani doesn't have a clear timeline to throw his next bullpen session. As they have all year, the team will exercise caution with their most important player.

“We’re not going to move forward until he feels 100 percent confident, we feel 100 percent confident that we should do it," Roberts said. "So right now, we didn’t do it."

Ohtani has made 14 starts this season, accruing a 1.79 ERA across 85.2 innings with 95 strikeouts. After allowing just five earned runs over his first 10 starts, he allowed 12 earned runs over his last four.

The first of those four outings was June 10 against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Ohtani left the June 11 game due to the knee inflammation.

While Roberts admitted Ohtani's setback was "not ideal," he said there's not any concern within the organization right now.

“It was obviously not ideal, him throwing his last bullpen and going backwards essentially,” Roberts said. “Obviously that’s disappointing because you throw a bullpen to continue to build up. So that was disappointing.

“But as far as worry, concern, we don’t have any of that.”

Ohtani will continue to be in the lineup as the team's designated hitter. He said before the All-Star break that the injury impacts him more as a pitcher than hitter, and Roberts reiterated that on Saturday.

“From his words — the hitting, the running as he has done the last couple nights, doesn’t affect him,” 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."

When Will Shohei Ohtani Return to Dodgers Rotation?

Roberts said he "absolutely" expects Ohtani to pitch again this season. While he didn't have a specific timeline, he said he expected it to be sometime in August.

It's currently unclear when he'll throw another bullpen session.

"I don’t know, and I don’t think anyone knows right now when the next ‘pen is going to be because it’s not scheduled," Roberts said.

On Friday, before Ohtani's setback, Roberts discussed the team's plan to be cautious with Ohtani. Those words continue to ring true.

“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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