Ohtani Scratched From Start, Skips All-Star Game
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- Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his Friday pitching start roughly six hours before first pitch after continued irritation in his left knee, with the Dodgers announcing he will undergo 'interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season.'
- Ohtani will still serve as the Dodgers' designated hitter for their weekend series against the Arizona Diamondbacks but will not travel to the All-Star Game, marking a notable absence from the midsummer classic.
- The Dodgers will stage a bullpen game Friday in Ohtani's pitching slot, adjusting their rotation on the fly against their NL West rival.
- Ohtani originally exited a June 11 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates early with the same left knee issue — the knee that had surgery in September 2019 to address a congenital bipartite patella — and has been managing the discomfort ever since.
- Ohtani's other physical issues, a blister on his pitching hand and tightness in his right bicep, have both subsided, leaving the knee as the remaining concern heading into the break.
- Ohtani enters the break slashing .290/.405/.534 with 20 home runs and six stolen bases, while going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA across 14 starts — an MVP-caliber split despite the nagging injuries.
Why it matters: Ohtani missing the All-Star Game for knee treatment, rather than simply resting, signals the Dodgers are prioritizing his availability for the second-half playoff push over a marquee exhibition. With a 1.79 ERA and 20 homers already, Los Angeles needs both his bat and his arm healthy for a deep October run, and the bullpen game Friday shows how quickly his absence disrupts roster planning.
