Shohei Ohtani’s path back to the mound has hit another pause, and the Dodgers are refusing to rush the player who changes every game plan.
Ohtani skipped a tentatively scheduled bullpen session Saturday after irritation in his left knee, with Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts saying the two-way star will not throw off a mound again until both player and club are fully comfortable.
“We’re just going to kick the can,” Roberts said before the Dodgers faced the New York Mets. “I think like I said yesterday, we’re not going to move forward until he feels 100% confident (and) we feel 100% confident that we should do it.”
Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3, but the Dodgers say the knee has not bothered him at the plate. That matters for a team already operating from a position of strength: Los Angeles entered Saturday at 66-38, the best record in baseball, and 11 games ahead of Arizona in the NL West.
The pressure is now on the Dodgers to protect both versions of Ohtani. He received a lubricant injection before the All-Star break, then threw around 30 pitches off a mound Wednesday in Philadelphia. Roberts said Ohtani felt a “little bit of regression” after that session.
“It was obviously not ideal, him throwing his last bullpen and going backwards essentially,” Roberts said. “So, obviously, that’s disappointing because you throw a bullpen, you continue to build up. So that was disappointing, but as far as worry, concern, we don’t have any of that.”
Ohtani’s pitching numbers explain why the Dodgers want him back, but also why caution is winning. He is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 85 2/3 innings, while also batting .286 with 22 homers, 61 RBIs and a .920 OPS.
The Dodgers’ injury picture does not stop there. Blake Snell made his second rehab start for Triple-A Oklahoma City, Edwin Diaz is expected to pitch another rehab outing Sunday, and Tyler Glasnow threw a simulated inning Friday as he works back from back spasms.
For now, Ohtani stays in the lineup with a bat in his hands, while the mound waits.
