Ohtani Held Out With Biceps Tightness After 110-Pitch Start
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- Shohei Ohtani threw a season-high 110 pitches and exited Friday's game due to right biceps tightness suffered while swinging, with the injury having briefly flared up months earlier
- Dodgers held Ohtani out of Saturday's lineup as a precaution despite his claim of rapid prior recovery, prioritizing rest for the two-way star amid ongoing physical maintenance
- Ohtani struggled with command early, throwing six straight balls to open the game, but still struck out nine and held the Padres to three runs over six innings
- Teoscar Hernández hit a game-winning grand slam in the seventh inning, erasing the deficit and securing a 4-3 win for the Dodgers after Ohtani’s exit
- Dave Roberts said skipping Ohtani’s next start should be 'on the table' given his workload and the toll of two-way play, though no decision was made
- Ohtani had an ice pack on his left knee postgame, a separate issue requiring recent maintenance, though Roberts confirmed it did not affect his pitching performance Friday
Why it matters: The Dodgers are managing Ohtani’s health more cautiously as multiple physical issues accumulate, raising the real possibility he skips a start before the All-Star break — a shift from their initial plan to pitch him in consecutive division matchups, which could affect team strategy and workload expectations for baseball’s most valuable two-way player.
