New Shohei Ohtani Injury Update as Dodgers Star Shut Down Indefinitely, Has 'Not Gotten Better' - Bleacher Report

What the report says

Bleacher Report, citing ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, reported that Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani has been shut down from pitching for an indefinite period because of irritation in his left knee. Manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani will no longer make his scheduled start Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies, and although he is expected to throw from a mound later in the week, there is no set timetable for a pitching return.

According to the report, Roberts said the knee issue has not improved and that the team believes pausing Ohtani’s pitching work gives him the best chance to fully move past the problem. Ohtani has not pitched since a July 3 win over the San Diego Padres. Roberts said the plan changed after Ohtani told Dodgers training staff the knee was not responding as he had hoped before a bullpen session.

Ohtani has continued serving as the Dodgers’ designated hitter. Bleacher Report noted, via Castillo, that he received a lubricant injection in the knee the previous Sunday and did not travel to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game. Roberts said the discomfort is tied to pitching mechanics rather than hitting, because the affected knee is involved differently when he drives off the mound.

The development matters because Ohtani’s rare value comes from contributing as both an elite hitter and pitcher. Roberts said he still expects Ohtani to pitch again this season, but characterized the situation as more than day to day, leaving the Dodgers without a clear date for restoring him to their rotation.