Dodgers say Ohtani will miss upcoming start and face indefinite pitching hiatus

Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Sunday that Shohei Ohtani will sit out his scheduled start on Wednesday versus the Philadelphia Phillies because of irritation in his left knee. The injury, which has kept Ohtani from pitching since a July 3 win over the San Diego Padres, has not improved enough for a bullpen session, prompting the team to extend his pitching hiatus.

Roberts said the timeline for Ohtani’s return to the mound is uncertain and will not be a day-to-day decision. "Kind of where we're at, right now, how we're proceeding, I would say that it's going to be some time," he told reporters before the Dodgers’ doubleheader against the New York Yankees. "And I say that it's not going to be a day-to-day thing."

The player will continue to appear in the lineup as a designated hitter. He received a knee injection on Sunday and did not travel with the team to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game. "I just think for us, it's more like what we've done many times over, erring on the side of caution," Roberts added.

Roberts indicated that Ohtani will bat in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader, though his participation in the nightcap remains undecided. He explained that the knee issue appears only when Ohtani pitches, not when he hits, noting the different stresses on the back and front knees during the two activities.