Shohei Ohtani’s comeback trail just got a gut punch, with his highly anticipated bullpen session on Saturday, July 25, in New York getting outright postponed. This isn’t just a bump in the road; Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed there’s been a clear “regression” in Ohtani’s left knee after a bullpen session just a few days prior. This is a tough pill to swallow for anyone watching.
The Setback: What Exactly Went Wrong?
We were all expecting Ohtani to throw that bullpen session before the Dodgers hit the field against the New York Mets at Citi Field. But nope, it didn’t happen. This whole knee drama started before the MLB All-Star break, when he got pulled from a scheduled start because of inflammation and irritation. Now, after his bullpen session on Wednesday, July 22, in Philadelphia, Roberts is saying the knee has regressed. It’s a complete unknown what the next steps are or when this two-way superstar will be back on the mound. It really feels like we’re back to square one with his pitching return, and that stings.
Playing The Long Game: Roberts’ Cold, Hard Truth
Roberts didn’t mince words, telling reporters on Friday, July 24, that we shouldn’t expect Ohtani back on the mound next week. He dropped this truth bomb: “Every player wants to get back out there and do what they do. But I think he understands it’s not about July, it’s about October.” That right there tells you everything. The Dodgers are playing the long game with their franchise player, trying to make sure he’s fully healthy for what really matters. They already put lubricant in his knee, though it wasn’t drained, just for some relief.
This isn’t just talk either. They pulled Ohtani from a scheduled start on Wednesday to throw that bullpen session, which, ironically, is what led to this regression. Roberts also made it clear that whenever Ohtani does return to the mound, they’re not expecting him to throw 100 pitches right away. They’ll be super cautious with his workload through the second half of the season. The good news? Even with all this pitching uncertainty, he’s still expected to rake as a designated hitter. So at least we’ll still see those monster hits!
So, the path for Ohtani returning to the mound just got a lot longer and murkier. It’s frustrating, no doubt, but Roberts is prioritizing October, not July. For now, we’ll keep watching him as a DH and hope this cautious approach pays off big when it really counts. And hey, while we wait for him to pitch again, the man still makes headlines: his Tokyo Series cleats with that rare signature are expected to set auction records! Legend status confirmed, even with a bum knee.
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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