Shohei Ohtani is not in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for their series finale against the Seattle Mariners, with Thursday marking his first time not playing since the Fourth of July.
He was out of the lineup that night due to discomfort in his right bicep that has remained an issue in addition to left knee discomfort. The day of rest came on the heels of Ohtani pitching six innings on July 3 in what’s since become his last start before getting removed from the rotation indefinitely.
Why Shohei Ohtani is not playing against Mariners
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani is missing the rubber match with the Mariners in order to get some rest due to ongoing left knee soreness.
Roberts added that Ohtani wanted to start in his usual designated hitter role but the Dodgers felt it was best to keep him out of the lineup. The Dodgers’ manager also said he was “very confident” Ohtani would be back in the lineup for the start of the series against the Boston Red Sox.
Along with the team taking the decision out of Ohtani’s hands, Thursday’s development is noteworthy in that all indications have been hitting and running the bases were not a problem.
Instead, the persistent knee issue is said to be what’s preventing Ohtani from pitching. There was an initial expectation he would have it drained at the start of the All-Star break, but Ohtani instead ended up treating it with an Orthovisc injection that typically is utilized to help relieve knee pain caused by arthritis.
Ohtani’s knee injury first became public knowledge when he was pinch-hit for late in a close game on June 11. He then missed the Dodgers’ game the following day before returning to the lineup.
The trouble is occurring in the same knee Ohtani had surgery on in 2019 to repair a bipartite patella, which is a rare congenital condition. Bipartite patella occurs when the two bones of the kneecap did not fuse together at birth.
Ohtani admitted to wondering if that procedure is a factor with the soreness/irritation he’s experiencing this season. When speaking with reporters on July 28, the two-way superstar appeared to suggest there would need to be some sort of procedure during the offseason.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman was surprised when presented with that possibility on Wednesday.
“That’s the first I’ve heard of that,” Friedman said.
Friedman, Roberts and Ohtani have all maintained that he will return to pitching at some point this season.
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