Ohtani is expected to play catch in Chicago this week, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani hasn't made a start as a pitcher since July 3 as a result of right biceps soreness, but the team continues share that the expectation is for him to return to the rotation at some point this season. The plan has not changed, even after acquiring Tarik Skubal on Saturday. The Dodgers will begin a three-game series at Wrigley Field against the Cubs on Monday, and Ohtani's throwing session will be a major indication of how close he may be to returning to the mound.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Two extra-base hits in loss
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Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a two-run home run, a double and a second run scored in Friday's 9-4 loss to the Red Sox.
Ohtani was held out of the lineup Thursday due to his ongoing bout of left knee inflammation, while continues to keep him from pitching. He's made up for it with plenty of success at the plate lately -- he's 10-for-25 (.400) with two homers, five doubles and seven RBI over his last six games as a hitter. For the season, the superstar is batting .291 with a .939 OPS, 24 homers, 67 RBI, 70 runs scored, 22 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 104 contests. Ohtani should continue to be reliable in terms of power and rate stats as long as he can play through the knee issue, but don't expect him to add much in terms of speed while he's less than 100 percent healthy.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Back in lineup
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Ohtani (knee) will serve as the designated hitter and bat leadoff Friday against the Red Sox.
Ohtani sat out Thursday's contest to give his inflamed left knee a chance to heal, but he now seems to be feeling well enough to play in Friday's series opener. The two-way star hasn't appeared on the mound since July 3 because of his knee but hasn't been impacted much as a hitter, slashing .265/.326/.518 with five homers, 15 RBI and eight runs scored across 92 plate appearances in July.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Set to return to lineup Friday
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Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that he expects Ohtani (knee) to return to the lineup as the 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 of the knee issue and, to a lesser extent, a right biceps injury, is still presenting some lingering discomfort when he gets on the mound. Ohtani has continued to serve as the Dodgers' everyday DH and has 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 in July, and his contributions in the running game could remain limited over the final two months of the season.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Sitting due to knee soreness
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Ohtani is not in the starting lineup Thursday against Seattle as a result of left knee soreness, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Ohtani has been dealing with an ongoing knee issue for over a month, and the Dodgers decided to give their superstar a day off. Manager Dave Roberts is "very confident" that the 32-year-old will be back in the lineup for Friday's series opener at home versus Boston.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Omitted from lineup Thursday
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Ohtani is not in the lineup Thursday versus the Mariners, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani has appeared in all 11 games as a hitter since the All-Star break despite ongoing soreness in his right biceps and inflammation in his left knee. The issues have caused the superstar to put a pause on pitching, and sitting Thursday is likely just a day for him to rest up. As he sits, Teoscar Hernandez is starting as the designated hitter while Enrique Hernandez is inserted in left field.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Biceps issue downplayed
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President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman reiterated Wednesday that the Dodgers expect Ohtani to pitch again this season, with Friedman noting that the two-way player's right biceps soreness is a lesser concern than his inflamed left knee, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. "If it weren't for the knee, [Ohtani] would be pitching right now," Friedman said.
Per David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports, Ohtani is throwing plyometric balls to limit the force on his left knee, after the Dodgers decided to postpone his scheduled bullpen session over the weekend. The Dodgers are confident that the four-time MVP will start playing catch again soon, which would put him on track to be ready to pitch by season's end. Ohtani hasn't made a start as a pitcher since July 3 but has continued to handle an everyday role at designated hitter while he recovers from the knee issue.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Starring role on offense in loss
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Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and three total RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Mariners.
Ohtani had been a little quiet lately, going nine games without a homer after the All-Star break. He changed that tune early Tuesday with a solo shot off Luis Castillo to lead off the Dodgers' half of the first inning. Ohtani is now batting .286 with a .924 OPS, 23 homers, 64 RBI, 67 runs scored, 20 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 102 contests. He's still battling a knee injury that is keeping him off the mound, and it's safe to assume he won't be pushing too hard with speed while the knee is a concern.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani (knee) "kicked the can" on his scheduled bullpen session Saturday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
With Ohtani's knee still not feeling 100 percent after first throwing out of the bullpen Wednesday, the 31-year-old decided to cancel his slated bullpen session Saturday. Manager Dave Roberts is still confident that Ohtani will pitch again this season. Despite his knee problems, Ohtani will continue to serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Throws bullpen session
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Ohtani (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday at Citizens Bank Park, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.
Ohtani threw 31 pitches in the session and used his entire repertoire. It's the first time he's thrown off the mound since having his left knee drained and treated with a cortisone shot over the All-Star break. The next step for Ohtani isn't clear, but it's expected to be a few weeks before he's ready to make a start on the mound. Ohtani will continue serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Will not pitch this weekend
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Ohtani (knee) is not listed among the Dodgers' scheduled starting pitchers for this weekend's series against the Yankees, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani has not started a game on the mound in two weeks as he deals with a nagging left knee issue. He had the knee drained Sunday and was expected to receive an injection in the knee over the All-Star break, as well. The Dodgers haven't revealed when Ohtani's first start of the second half as a pitcher will be, but Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register speculates it could be next Wednesday in Philadelphia. Ohtani will be available to serve as a designated hitter this weekend versus the Yankees.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Reaches 20-homer mark
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Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Tuesday's 4-3 loss to the Rockies.
Ohtani's solo shot led off the bottom of the first inning. He has homered in consecutive contests and now has 20 long balls on the year. The superstar is batting .294 with a .950 OPS, 56 RBI, 62 runs scored, six stolen bases, 15 doubles and two triples over 88 contests. Ohtani has hit at least 34 homers in five straight seasons, but his power pace this year means he's facing an uphill climb if he's to get back to the 50-homer power he displayed in his first two years as a Dodger.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Knocks in four runs Monday
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Ohtani went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run, a walk and four total RBI in an 8-7 extra-innings win against the Rockies on Monday.
Ohtani kicked off the scoring for Los Angeles with a two-run blast in the third inning. He added a two-run single in the fourth to log his first game with four-plus RBI since May 16. Ohtani tied his season high with three hits, a mark he's reached seven times so far this season. He's not putting up the jaw-dropping numbers at the plate that he did in his first two campaigns with Los Angeles, but Ohtani has still been one of the league's best hitters, posting a .944 OPS (third best in MLB) along with 19 home runs, 55 RBI, 61 runs and six stolen bases through 87 contests.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Out of lineup Saturday, as expected
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Ohtani (bicep) isn't in the lineup Saturday versus San Diego.
Ohtani was removed from Friday's matchup after completing six frames as a pitcher and after taking an at-bat as the DH in the bottom of the sixth inning. The superstar slugger said he felt something in his right bicep but suggested that the issue is probably minor. Nonetheless, manager Dave Roberts indicated after Friday's contest that Ohtani wouldn't play Saturday as a precaution, and the two-way star is indeed out of the lineup. In his stead, Andy Pages is getting a day off his feet and serving as Los Angeles' DH. It remains to be seen if Ohtani will be back in the lineup Sunday.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Battling bicep issue
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Ohtani was removed from Friday's game against the Padres due to a bicep injury, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.
Ohtani said after the game that he became concerned about his bicep after his final at-bat in the sixth inning, but he noted that what he felt was similar to an injury he dealt with a couple of months ago that subsided relatively quickly. Although his injury is believed to be minor, manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani will not play Saturday as a precaution, per Harris. The two-way star gave up three earned runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings on the mound Friday and went 0-for-3 as a hitter.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Goes deep in win
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Ohtani went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Monday's 9-4 win over the Athletics.
Ohtani gave the Dodgers some breathing room with his blast in the sixth inning. He has swatted seven homers among 16 hits over his last 16 games as a batter, adding 13 RBI in that span. The superstar is now batting .297 with a .958 OPS, 18 homers, 50 RBI, 60 runs scored, 15 doubles, two triples and six stolen bases over 81 games this season.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Clubs homer in victory
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Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in a 2-1 win against Minnesota on Monday.
Ohtani gave Los Angeles an early jolt, belting a 414-foot homer to right field to lead off the game. That was his only hit, but the Twins helped emphasize how much the slugger is feared when they walked him intentionally with two outs and a runner on first base in the ninth inning. Ohtani had a slow start to the season in the power department, going deep an uncharacteristic eight times over his first 50 games, but he's picked up the pace since. Over his past 21 contests, the two-way superstar has nine homers along with 15 RBI. His offensive numbers are still below his usual lofty standards, but Ohtani nonetheless ranks fourth among qualified hitters with a .976 OPS.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Belts late homer in loss
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Ohtani went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Orioles.
Ohtani got the Dodgers on the board with a homer off Andrew Kittredge in the ninth inning. While the team's comeback fell short, it's good to see Ohtani back in action after he briefly stepped away from the team to welcome his second child Friday. He got a bit of a jump start on the dad strength -- he's homered five times over his last eight games. The two-way superstar is batting .295 on the year with a .968 OPS, 16 homers, 43 RBI, 52 runs scored, six stolen bases, 15 doubles and two triples over 73 contests.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Back in lineup
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Ohtani (paternity) will serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter and bat leadoff Saturday against the Orioles, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
After missing Friday's game for the birth of his second child, Ohtani will rejoin the team Saturday and reclaim his spot as the Dodgers' leadoff man. He's tallied just two hits across his last five games but still boasts a .360/.484/.760 slash line in 62 plate appearances since the beginning of June.
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Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Knee inflammation still lingering
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Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday that Ohtani's left knee inflammation is not behind him and will need to be managed moving forward, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.
Ohtani initially hurt his knee last week and missed one game. He's started at designated hitter for the past four contests and is starting on the mound Wednesday but will not be used on offense. The knee issue does not appear to be a long-term concern for Ohtani, but he could receive extra days off for a bit.
