The Los Angles Dodgers announced Shohei Ohtani’s indefinite pause from pitching earlier this week after his recovery process did not go according to plan over the All-Star break.
Ohtani remains limited by left knee irritation even after he was treated with an Orthovisc injection during the Dodgers’ off week. It has not affected his ability to serve as the team’s designated hitter, but there is no timeline for Ohtani to return to the mound.
The 32-year-old nonetheless took a step in the right direction Wednesday by completing his first bullpen session since receiving an injection in his knee.
“It’s a big sign. Because the grass, the flat ground, all of that stuff is well and good, the arm is fine. So it’s just more of getting down the slope, throwing over your front side,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said on SportsNet LA.
“That’s kind of the big test. Usually the bullpens are right around 88 miles an hour or something like that, so we’ll see where he’s at.”
While it is a sign of progress, Roberts confirmed Ohtani still won’t pitch on the Dodgers’ current road trip but will likely throw another bullpen session on Saturday.
Prior to recent developments, the Dodgers were confident that Ohtani would be ready to pitch sometime after the All-Star break. However, the organization was forced to re-evaluate after the Orthovisc injection did not yet fully set in to provide relief.
Ohtani was initially scheduled to have fluid drained from his left knee during the All-Star break. No reason has been given for the change in treatment.
Although the situation is not ideal, Ohtani’s injury still does not appear to threaten his ability to play this season. The nine-year veteran has continued to serve as the DH, and Roberts previously said Ohtani was capable of pitching through the injury if the stakes were higher, such as in October.
And with an important bullpen session in the books, now the Dodgers will look ahead to how Ohtani’s knee responds in the coming days. They have an off day Thursday, albeit will spend some of that visiting the White House, before starting a weekend series against the New York Mets on Friday.
Shohei Ohtani working on mechanics
The two-way superstar previously suggested his knee injury could be related to poor pitching mechanics. Ohtani said before the All-Star break that he would likely need to make some mechanical adjustments to aid his knee and wondered if having surgery in September 2019 was also related to the current trouble.
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