Manager Dave Roberts said after Thursday's 6-2 win over the Mariners that he expects Ohtani (knee) to return to the lineup as the Dodgers' designated hitter and leadoff batter in Friday's series opener versus the Red Sox, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani was held out of the starting nine Thursday while tending to soreness in his inflamed left knee, an injury that initially forced him out of a June 11 game. The two-way phenom hasn't made an appearance as a pitcher since July 3 because the knee issue -- and to a lesser extent, a right biceps injury -- is still presenting some lingering discomfort when he gets on the mound, but he's expected to continue serving as the Dodgers' everyday DH. Before sitting out Thursday, Ohtani had still been performing well at the plate in spite of the knee issue, producing a .265/.326/.518 slash line with five home runs, 15 RBI and eight runs in 21 July games. However, he hasn't attempted a stolen base throughout July, and his contributions in the running game could remain limited over the final two months of the season.