Shohei Ohtani skips start and All-Star Game due to left-knee irritation
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled pitching start against Arizona and will miss the All-Star Game after doctors decided to drain his left knee and possibly administer an injection.
Shohei Ohtani did not pitch for the Dodgers on Friday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and will sit out the upcoming All-Star Game after doctors identified irritation in his left knee that is worsened by pitching. The team plans to drain the knee and likely give an injection after Sunday’s game.
"The goal is to be able to throw according to regular schedule in the second half," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton after the 9-3 loss. "Although I could’ve started Friday, it would’ve still been pushing the envelope a little bit. My every intention is to use the off-days to make sure I’m in a good place to be able to be in the rotation."
Manager Dave Roberts said the decision was made to protect Ohtani’s health ahead of the October playoffs and that the missed start should not affect his second-half pitching role. "The goal is October, for all of our players," Roberts said. "Nothing is going to come in front of being healthy for October."
Ohtani will remain in the lineup as a designated hitter for the weekend series and is expected to return to the mound after the All-Star break, with Roberts indicating he is penciled in to face the Yankees on July 17.
In his first at-bat on Friday, Ohtian hit his eighth leadoff home run of the season, tying a major-league lead, and continued to post a .943 OPS, the third-best among qualified NL hitters. The knee irritation, which has persisted for about a month, first forced him out of a game on June 11 and now marks his first missed pitching start this season.
Ohtani acknowledged he may need to adjust his mechanics to reduce knee stress, but did not link the issue to his 2019 bipartite patella surgery. The Dodgers had already delayed his previous start by two days to provide rest amid a 13-day stretch without an off day.
The All-Star roster will proceed without Ohtani, who had been slated as the National League’s starting designated hitter and had the most Phase 1 fan votes among players.