Ohtani Scratches Bullpen Session Over Knee Flare-Up
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Shohei Ohtani skipped his scheduled Saturday bullpen session after manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani experienced "a little bit of regression" in his left knee following his Wednesday session, with the club choosing to "kick the can" until he's 100% comfortable.
- Ohtani, 32, had posted a 1.79 ERA across 14 starts before the knee pain resurfaced earlier this month, last pitching July 3 against the Padres — three runs over six innings — before being scratched from his next outing.
- Dave Roberts said Ohtani's knee only flares when he pitches, not when he hits or runs, adding that the four-time MVP has started at designated hitter in the Dodgers' past 15 games and will keep playing there unless told otherwise.
- Ohtani was scratched from a second consecutive start — Wednesday against the Phillies — and threw a bullpen instead; he skipped the All-Star Game despite leading all vote-getters and received a lubricant injection July 12.
- Ohtani underwent a 2019 procedure on his left knee for bipartite patella, a congenital condition in which the kneecap forms as two separate bones, and has managed flare-ups since; he left a June 11 start against the Pirates due to the same knee.
- Ohtani went 0-for-5 on Saturday and is hitting .282 with 22 home runs and 61 RBIs; he has not spoken to reporters since before the All-Star break.
Why it matters: A pitcher with a 1.79 ERA over 14 starts being sidelined indefinitely strains a Dodgers rotation already juggling his absence, and Ohtani's franchise value as the reigning NL MVP front-runner means every missed start doubles as an offensive asset still playing through the issue at DH — the team can't replace both roles at once.
