Ohtani won't pitch due to knee irritation
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- Shohei Ohtani will miss his scheduled start against the Philadelphia Phillies due to irritation in his left knee, with no timeline for his return to the mound
- Dave Roberts said Ohtani's knee did not progress as expected before a bullpen session, prompting the decision to delay his return and proceed cautiously
- Los Angeles Dodgers will use a bullpen game for Sunday's nightcap after adjusting their rotation, moving Emmet Sheehan's start to Monday
- Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 and was scratched from his previous start, though he continued hitting and received a lubricant injection in the knee on July 12
- Roberts emphasized the team is erring on the side of caution, stating Ohtani's absence from the mound is not day-to-day but does not involve shutting him down completely
- Ohtani remains one of the top performers in the majors with a 1.79 ERA over 85⅔ innings and is batting .289 with 22 home runs, leading in multiple offensive categories
Why it matters: The Dodgers lose a dominant two-way presence at a critical point in the season, risking both short-term rotation stability and Ohtani’s historic MVP campaign if the knee issue lingers beyond a few weeks. His ability to hit unaffected means the team retains elite offensive production, but the mound gap must be filled by less proven arms.
