Shohei Ohtani (knee) set to rejoin starting lineup

Ohtani has not pitched since July 3, and probably won’t be able to return to the rotation for another week-plus or so, at earliest. Roberts did confirm that even with the acquisition of Tarik Skubal, the plan is for Ohtani to resume pitching. The next step for the 32-year-old after playing catch will be a bullpen session or two.

Ohtani has two homers and three doubles in his last three games, pushing his OPS back up to .939. That puts him fifth in the majors, barely behind Juan Soto (.947), James Wood (.944) and Willson Contreras (.943). Yordan Alvarez remains way, way out in front at 1.077.

Ohtani has already admitted that his knee is unlikely to be at 100 percent for the remainder of the season, so it sounds like the Dodgers will have to be careful to mix in some off days to help to try to keep him as fresh as possible. He’s back in there atop the Dodgers’ lineup for Friday’s matchup against Red Sox’ southpaw Ranger Suarez.

They point to the idea that Ohtani already needed a day off after recently getting one on Monday as a “red flag,” but note that it is “unlikely” the Dodgers will put Ohtani on the injured list. Still, this is an injury that sounds like it has a chance to linger and cause further interruptions to Ohtani down the stretch. Fantasy managers should be prepared for that possibility. Manager Dave Roberts has already said he’s “very confident” that Ohtani would start on Friday.

Dodgers’ skipper Dave Roberts noted that Ohtani experienced some soreness in his left knee after Wednesday’s game, so they’re going the safe route and giving him an extra day of rest. It’s possible that he’ll still be available off the bench if needed. He’s considered day-to-day.

Friedman downplayed concern regarding a right biceps issue that cropped up recently for Ohtani, saying that lingering left knee soreness is the greater concern at this juncture. The 32-year-old two-way talent remains without a definitive timetable to return to pitching in games, but there continues to be optimism that he’ll make it back at some point this season. Simply put, the primary focus for the Dodgers down the home stretch will be ensuring that Ohtani is ready to pitch in the postseason.

Ohtani left a game on July 3 because of biceps discomfort, but it was a hitting issue and not supposed to be pitching-related. If the Dodgers are now concerned about it in terms of his pitching, then any sort of quick return to the mound seems highly unlikely. All signs point to him remaining in the lineup as a designated hitter, however.

Ohtani got the scoring started in this one, taking Luis Castillo deep for a solo homer to lead off the bottom of the first inning. After he was intentionally walked in the third, he knocked a base hit in the fourth to drive in another run before collecting his third RBI on a double in the ninth. After the game, the 32-year-old star stated he was dealing with a right biceps issue along with the left knee injury, keeping him from throwing since last week. Still, he continues to perform at the plate, slashing .286/.391/.533 with 23 homers, 67 runs scored, 64 RBI, and six steals across 452 plate appearances.

Roberts added that Ohtani’s left knee doesn’t feel 100 percent following his latest bullpen session earlier this week, but expressed confidence that he’ll pitch again this season. There’s zero incentive for the Dodgers to push Ohtani back out on the mound at this stage of the season, which means that fantasy managers shouldn’t count on him making a significant impact, if any, from a pitching standpoint over the final two months.

Ohtani remains without a definitive timetable to return to pitching for the Dodgers, but he continues to make incremental progress with his throwing progression, which is encouraging. The 32-year-old generational talent is likely to miss at least a couple additional turns in Los Angeles’ rotation after experiencing left knee soreness earlier this month.