Shohei Ohtani was held out of Thursday's game against the Seattle Mariners due to soreness in his left knee.
The Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter reported increased discomfort after Wednesday's 4-2 win.
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Manager Dave Roberts said the decision to rest Ohtani came after communication with the training staff.
"I just talked to the trainer, and he said maybe tonight might be a good day for him to be down," Roberts explained.
Ohtani had expressed a desire to play, but the organization made the final call. "I appreciate the communication," Roberts added.
"I can't read minds, the training staff can't read minds, so just for him to communicate that allows for us to make a decision."
The knee issue has kept Ohtani from pitching since July 3. He received an Orthovisc injection during the All-Star break, but ongoing evaluations will determine his availability.
"Nothing should be off the table, and nothing is set in stone," Roberts said. "So I think it's more of how he feels."
Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani is not fully healthy. "He's not 100 percent," he said.
"Very few players are 100 percent. Then what is it?
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Is it 70 percent, is it 80 percent, is it 90 percent?"
Ohtani himself said he expects to manage the discomfort throughout the season.
"It's really something that I have to just deal with over the course of the season," he stated.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are active in trade discussions ahead of Monday's deadline.
President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said the team will always engage when star players become available.
"I think our mindset is always, and we've talked about this, there just aren't that many star-level players in the game," Friedman said.
"Any time one is available, we're always going to participate in those conversations."
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Los Angeles has been linked to Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal, with minor league outfielder Zyhir Hope mentioned as a potential trade asset, according to The New York Times.
