Shohei Ohtani is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation indefinitely due to multiple injuries, one that was previously known, and another issue that was revealed on Tuesday.
The Dodgers first removed Ohtani from their rotation due to left knee discomfort. He received an Orthovisc injection to provide pain relief and shock absorption in his knee during the All-Star break, in hopes of treating the issue and getting back on track.
Ohtani threw a bullpen session in Philadelphia after coming out of the break, but the treatment did not work as hoped. Ohtani experienced some regression in his knee, and then the Dodgers skipped his next scheduled bullpen session and shut him down.
Shohei Ohtani’s right bicep trouble
But in addition to the knee injury, Ohtani also revealed his right bicep is causing issues again.
“Yeah, my biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through his interpreter Will Ireton on Tuesday night. “And again, just a similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July, so I think the conversation would be a little different if we were in August or September.”
It was his first time speaking since July 10, the day the Dodgers announced Ohtani was not going to participate in the All-Star Game due to expected treatment on his knee. Though, at the time the indication was Ohtani planned to have his ailing knee drained.
Ohtani previously experienced trouble in his throwing in early July and was out of the lineup on the Fourth of July. It was later revealed that marked a second time this season Ohtani had discomfort in his right bicep.
But after getting the day off, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani was back to feeling good and there was nothing they’d need to worry about moving forward.
However, after Ohtani threw his bullpen session at Citizens Bank Park on July 22, the biceps injury resurfaced, which is part of why he was shut down from pitching.
“As he started ramping back up, I think in the bullpen, maybe in Philadelphia or in New York, it just wasn’t responding, nor was his knee,” Roberts said. “And so I think there is an effect from the lower half compromising the upper half, the arm. So, trying to mitigate that, we stopped the throwing, stopped the bullpens.
“Hopefully, number one, take care of the knee, and then not have him try to create velocity with the arm that’s not 100%. So that’s kind of where we’re at. And then, if we look at him and his value for our ballclub, we need him in the lineup. The swing, the running of the bases, the knee, the arm doesn’t compromise that.
“So that’s kind of everything I’ve heard. That’s in talking to Shohei, the training staff, and that’s where we’re at.”
Ohtani last pitched on July 3, when he completed six innings against the San Diego Padres. There is currently no timeline for his to return to the mound.
The Dodgers will remain cautious with Ohtani, and the plan is not to have him pitching again until he’s fully recovered.
“If I was completely no issue, 100%, I think things would have gone the way it was supposed to,” Ohtani said regarding his skipped bullpen session. “But if I’m at 90%, which means 10% not quite there, then there’s not really a necessity to force the issue.”
The good news is Ohtani said his knee is improving, and his goal is to get it back to 100%. For now, he will continue to focus on hitting, which he says is not compromised by the knee or biceps injury.
Dodgers expect Shohei Ohtani to pitch again
Ohtani is now at the point where he will need to build his arm back up before returning to the rotation after missing close to a month of pitching. The more time Ohtani misses, the longer he will need to stretch back out.
That starts to tighten the timeline for Ohtani to resume throwing again, with only about two months remaining before the postseason begins. Still, the Dodgers fully expect their two-way start to be on the mound in October.
“Everything that I’ve heard, that’s not the option,” Roberts answered when asked if the Dodgers will need to consider having Ohtani only hit in the postseason. “I guess anything is possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely.
“We’re doing all this, number one, to make sure that he’s in a good spot health-wise, but given where we’re at in the calendar, if the knee continues to get better, the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch. But again, this is something probably more for Shohei and the training staff to answer.
“All I know is that we’re trying to, I’m trying to, give him the best opportunity to be as healthy as possible, so he can help us on both ends of the baseball.”
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