Shohei Ohtani's Injury Concerns Prompt Dodgers' Decision to Sit Him The Los Angeles Dodgers have decided to keep two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani out of the starting lineup for Thursday night’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals following a concerning 0-for-4 performance with four strikeouts in Wednesday’s contest. The decision comes amid ongoing physical issues that have plagued Ohtani since June, raising questions about his readiness for the postseason. Manager Dave Roberts and general manager Brandon Gomes emphasized that Ohtani is considered day to day and that the team has no immediate plans to place him on the injured list. Ohtani’s struggles began with lingering left knee soreness, which forced him to sit out pitching since July 3. The injury has since been compounded by a right biceps issue that initially affected his hitting and later impacted his pitching. Roberts noted that Ohtani’s “overall body” was “not 100 percent” during a recent bullpen session, which left his return to pitching indefinite. Despite resuming a throwing program on August 8, Ohtani’s hitting performance has been lackluster, with a .204 batting average (19-for-93) and a .704 OPS in the span. He has struck out 32 times in that period, far below his season averages. The Dodgers’ decision to sit Ohtani followed a particularly difficult game on Wednesday, where he not only struck out four times but also exhibited visible discomfort. He winced multiple times while using his right arm and showed limited lower body mobility during his swing. Roberts identified his biceps and neck—new issues—as the primary sources of pain. Gomes acknowledged the challenges of maintaining peak performance during the season, stating that “all of these guys are going through that time of year where they’re battling through different ailments.#shohei_ohtani #los_angeles_dodgers #dave_roberts #st_louis_cardinals #brandon_gomes
