Shohei Ohtani was lined up to start Wednesday in the final game of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ road trip, but he’s now not pitching until Friday. It’s resulting in eight days between pitching starts.
The Dodgers instead are going to rely on a bullpen game in the series finale against the A’s, and have Roki Sasaki face the San Diego Padres in the opener of their homestand.
Why the Dodgers changed Shohei Ohtani’s start
There are multiple factors behind the Dodgers’ decision to push back Ohtani’s next pitching start, ranging from his overall health to the team’s current schedule and factoring in opponents.
The Dodgers are in the midst of playing 13 games in a row and don’t have an off day in their schedule until Thursday, July 9.
“If there’s any opportunity for us to give him some extra rest, try to take advantage of it,” manager Dave Roberts explained on SportsNet LA. “Pushing him to Friday allows us to have him still take down two starts before the break and get on two division opponents. So in that vain, there’s just no downside. It just made too much sense.”
When they previously went through a similar stretch, the Dodgers managed Ohtani’s workload by only having him pitch on May 13.
Meanwhile, Ohtani was removed early from the game on June 11 and wasn’t in the lineup the following night due to left knee inflammation. He wound up missing just the one game but Roberts on multiple occasions has acknowledged Ohtani’s knee trouble remains an issue that needs to be monitored.
Ohtani has also been pitching through a blister on the middle finger of his right hand. It broke open and bled in a start against the Tampa Bay Rays on June 17, though was seemingly back under control last week.
Ohtani is still expected to be the Dodgers’ designated hitter on Wednesday, but he could receive a break from that role in the near future as the team continues to be mindful of handling him with care.
“Is there a day off from DHing coming? Potentially,” Roberts said. “But I’ll have that conversation with Shohei. Just everything, overall body, workload, managing him as a two-way player.”
Another aspect not to be overlooked are the environment factors at Sutter Health park. It’s extremely hitter-friendly, and ease of access to clubhouses during games is virtually nonexistent.
One downside to the Dodgers pushing back Ohtani’s start is the domino effect may prevent him from pitching in the All-Star Game on July 14. Though, that probability may not have been likely anyhow.
Ohtani vs. Padres
Ohtani’s 14th pitching start of the season is going to represent his second time facing the Padres in 2026. He wasn’t overly dominant nor efficient at Petco Park on May 20, but still managed to hold the Padres scoreless over five innings.
Ohtani otherwise has completed at least six innings in every start this year. He has also been the Dodgers’ designated hitter in eight of 13 pitching starts thus far in 2026.
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