Shohei Ohtani is officially out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup on Thursday, marking his first day off in over a month, and the news coming out of the dugout is brutal. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn’t pull any punches after Ohtani’s rough night at the plate, confirming what everyone was seeing: “He’s not close to optimal, tonight.” That’s the kind of honesty that hits you like a fastball to the gut. Tommy Edman is taking Ohtani’s usual leadoff spot, with Alex Call stepping in as designated hitter, but let’s be real: no one’s filling those shoes.
Ohtani’s Swing Is Visibly Compromised, and It’s Getting Worse
This isn’t some minor tweak. The decision to sit Ohtani comes hot on the heels of a four-strikeout performance against the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, a game where his swing was clearly compromised. Roberts went into detail, painting a grim picture of his star’s struggles. He saw “the shaking of the arm” and “wincing.” He noted, “Clearly the swings aren’t who he is. Obviously, there’s some compensation … Things are compromised. Clearly, tonight, you could see the swing wasn’t the swing that we’re used to seeing.” When your manager is describing visible shaking and wincing, you know it’s not good. The situation is so serious that Roberts confirmed the Dodgers training staff and leadership would be reviewing the situation all day Thursday.
More Than Just a Benched Bat: Health Worries Pile Up
The scary part? This isn’t just about one bad night. Health concerns have been swirling around Ohtani even before Wednesday’s game. Roberts had already admitted that shutting him down as a pitcher for the rest of the season was “an option,” and Ohtani hasn’t even pitched since July 3. He even got a lubricant injection in his left knee over the All-Star break, and while there was some hope he’d return to the mound last Sunday, a shaky bullpen session put a stop to that. The knee issue, coupled with a corresponding biceps issue, is directly affecting his hitting, and that’s a massive problem for a Dodgers lineup that has struggled significantly in the past few months. Roberts was hesitant to confirm an injured list stint was coming, but he didn’t rule out the “possibility.” Remember, Ohtani hasn’t been on the IL in three seasons with the Dodgers, even while recovering from internal brace surgery in 2024 and 2025. That resilience is incredible, but it also makes this current situation feel even more urgent.
What’s Next For Ohtani and the Dodgers’ Postseason Hopes?
While the Dodgers are reportedly okay without Ohtani on the mound, especially if Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow are all healthy for the postseason, his bat is a different story. Since his last pitching start, Ohtani’s slashing .263/.344/.526. For almost any other player, those are stellar numbers. But this is Shohei Ohtani, and those stats are not meeting the sky-high standard he has set for himself with the Dodgers. The training staff’s review today is huge. Everyone’s waiting to hear if he’ll try to push through or if the IL is unavoidable. This isn’t just a tough stretch; it’s a “significant problem” at a crucial time for a team that needs its stars firing on all cylinders.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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