The Los Angeles Dodgers just got hit with some brutal news on their superstar Shohei Ohtani, and it’s a gut punch for anyone who loves dominant pitching. Ohtani is set to undergo a knee procedure during the All-Star break, an issue that already sidelined him from his last start. Now, he’s officially being shut down from pitching for an unknown period, and it spells the end of his NL Cy Young award candidacy.
Shut Down from the Mound, But Still Raking
Remember that original plan for Ohtani to pitch against the Philadelphia Phillies the week after the All-Star break? Yeah, shred that blueprint right now, because it’s GONE. Jack Harris of The California Post dropped the bombshell, confirming Ohtani is getting shut down from pitching for a while. Honestly, folks, the return timeline is completely up in the air. Dodgers manager Roberts admitted they don’t know when Ohtani will step back on the mound, suggesting ‘that it’s going to be some time.’ This is a massive blow! The one, tiny glimmer of hope? He’s still expected to keep absolutely mashing dingers in the Dodgers’ lineup. We’ll take what we can get, I guess.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Cy Young Is Gone
Let’s be totally honest: his Cy Young candidacy was already walking a tightrope. His innings count was always going to be much lower than his competitors. But before this crushing news, Ohtani was putting up absolutely video-game numbers: a staggering 1.79 ERA in 14 starts across 85.2 innings, with 95 strikeouts, and a ridiculous 234 ERA+ this season. If he could’ve just kept that blistering pace, he might have had a real shot at the award. But now? Forget about it. He’s not even going to come close to logging the innings needed to stand shoulder to shoulder with powerhouses like Jacob Misiorowski, Cristopher Sanchez, Chase Burns, Chris Sale, and Zack Wheeler. Even if he stages some miraculous comeback for the final month, there’s just no way those crucial innings materialize. It’s a gut-wrenching turn for his pitching season, especially since he’s absolutely tearing it up at the plate and is a total shoo-in for NL MVP in 2026. But for that NL Cy Young trophy? Yeah, that ship has unfortunately, definitively sailed.
This knee issue is an absolutely brutal, season-altering blow to what was shaping up to be an otherwise historic pitching season for Ohtani. While we won’t get to see him battling for the Cy Young award, at least we still get to watch him dominate at the plate every single day. It’s a bittersweet pill for any baseball fan, seeing a superstar’s pitching dream for this year fade like that, even as his MVP case gets stronger with every swing of the bat.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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