Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani revealed Tuesday night that right biceps discomfort and ongoing left knee soreness have forced him to push back a scheduled bullpen session, delaying his return to the mound.
The four-time MVP has not pitched since July 3, though he continues to serve as the designated hitter.
In Tuesday's 7-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners, Ohtani hit his 10th leadoff home run of the season, finishing 3-for-4 with a double, a walk, three RBIs, and a run scored.
Ohtani Details Physical Setbacks
Speaking to reporters for the first time since before the All-Star break, Ohtani explained the dual issues affecting his condition.
"My biceps is not 100%," he said. "Just 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're in August or September."
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts noted that Ohtani looked refreshed after recent time off. "I do think that the road trip was exhausting for everyone," Roberts said.
"I do think that with the day off, he came in fresh and looked more like himself."
Roberts added that Ohtani's swing and running are not compromised, and he will remain in the lineup until further notice.
Before the All-Star break, Ohtani received a lubricant injection in his knee and sat out a game in Philadelphia to recover.
He acknowledged the injection provided temporary relief rather than a permanent solution, hinting at a postseason evaluation.
"In terms of running, I'm not exactly at 100% capacity," Ohtani said.
"When I know it's not, then it's always a little harder to be aggressive on the basepath."
Ohtani expressed hope that his knee condition is improving, but his status on the mound remains uncertain.
"I don't think the team has really come to a place exactly where, do I pitch through it or not?"
he said. "That's still really up in the air."
Roberts said it is highly unlikely Ohtani would be sidelined from pitching entirely during the postseason.
"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," Roberts said.
He added that once cleared, Ohtani will require a structured buildup process before returning to game action.
