Shohei Ohtani 'Unlikely' to Not Pitch Again This Season, Says Dodgers Manager

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani has been shut down from pitching since the beginning of July as he deals with an ongoing knee injury.

Ohtani was scratched before his last start ahead of the All-Star break, and missed the All-Star Game while he received a lubricant injection to help with the knee injury.

But the knee didn't respond in the way that Los Angeles would have liked to see, so the team took him out of the rotation indefinitely. The Dodgers have been approaching the injury slowly, giving Ohtani plenty of time to heal.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3, and there have been questions about when he could return. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts provided more clarity on Ohtani's issue, saying that it's "highly unlikely" Los Angeles has seen the last of the ace on the mound this season.

“I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely [he doesn’t pitch in October],” Roberts said. “We’re doing all this [right now] number one to make sure that he’s in a good spot health-wise.

"But given where we’re at in the calendar, if the knee continues to get better, the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch.”

Ohtani has also been dealing with a biceps injury, which he said has played into his being shut down as a pitcher. But the injuries have impacted him more as a pitcher than a hitter, so he has remained in the lineup as the designated hitter.

The Dodgers will move forward cautiously with Ohtani, watching him closely each day. But even the two-way star isn't sure what the plan is for him to return to the mound.

"The knee is where it is in terms of, for it to heal is the most important priority," Ohtani said. "I don’t think the team has really come to a place exactly where, do I pitch through it or not. That’s still really up in the air.”

Will Shohei Ohtani Pitch Again in 2026?

While there is no concrete timeline, Roberts did say that once Ohtani is cleared, he would need to ramp himself back up to a full starter's workload.

"He's a starting pitcher, so when you start missing three, four, five weeks of that build-up, then you got to kind of start up again," Roberts said.

Ohtani has thrown 85.2 innings this season, sporting a 1.79 ERA while striking out 95. The right-hander has been dominant on the mound, so losing him for an extended period of time hurts the team.

But the Dodgers have a future outlook for the postseason, and they'll need a healthy Ohtani to complete the three-peat. Ohtani is easily the most important player on the roster, so anytime there is an ailment, no matter how small, the Dodgers' medical staff will proceed with caution.

“Honestly, I think [the plan is] 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.”

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