The Los Angeles Dodgers have adjusted the pitching schedule for two-way star Shohei Ohtani, making it highly unlikely he will take the mound at the July 14 All-Star Game.
Team officials moved Ohtani's start from Wednesday to Friday, July 3, 2026, to manage his workload during a stretch of 13 games in 13 days.
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After his Friday outing, Ohtani is scheduled for one more start before the All-Star break on July 10 against Arizona.
That would leave only three days of rest before the showcase event, according to Sportsnet.
Ohtani Still in All-Star Lineup as DH
Despite the pitching uncertainty, Ohtani remains in the National League starting lineup as the designated hitter.
He led all Major League players with 3,341,257 votes in the initial fan balloting.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will manage the NL All-Star team in Philadelphia, acknowledged the difficulty of Ohtani pitching in the game.
“I haven't formally said it, but if you just kind of do the math, it would be hard to imagine.
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But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet,” Roberts said.
Roberts also noted that Ohtani has struggled with his performance recently. “Shohei hasn’t had his best stuff recently and that’s the truth,” he said.
The manager pointed to specific issues: “The fastball command hasn’t been what it was earlier in the season, the sweeper hasn’t been the same.”
Ohtani has been managing multiple physical issues, including left knee soreness and a blister on his throwing hand's middle finger.
However, Roberts provided a positive update before Friday's game.
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“He feels good, the body feels good,” Roberts said. “The knee feels as good as it’s felt in quite some time, so that’s encouraging.”
