Shohei Ohtani to remain shut down from pitching

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that Ohtani is available off the bench and is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday. Tommy Edman moves up to the leadoff spot with Freddie Freeman getting off his feet at DH while Enrique Hernández covers first base. Ohtani went 0-for-3 with a walk and a pair of strikeouts in his return to Los Angeles’ lineup during Monday’s win over the Reds after missing four games with ongoing knee and biceps issues. The 32-year-old two-way superstar told reporters afterwards that he’s going to focus exclusively on hitting for the rest of the season. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Dodgers carefully manage his workload for the final three weeks of the season to keep his as healthy as possible heading into the playoffs.

As expected, Ohtani is back in the leadoff spot following a four-game absence due to ongoing physical issues. The two-way superstar has been dealing with multiple lingering injury concerns for several weeks, including left knee soreness and biceps discomfort. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters they’re putting a pin on Ohtani pitching for now. They haven’t officially ruled him out for the playoffs, but it seems highly unlikely they’re jeopardize his postseason availability as a hitter by pushing things from a pitching standpoint. The encouraging news here for fantasy managers is that Ohtani is back in the lineup without requiring a trip to the injured list.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani would have hit for Alex Call in the eighth Sunday night had there been any runners on base at the time. As it turned out, there wasn’t, so Call got to hit for himself with none on and two outs. He singled, Tommy Edman walked and then Mookie Betts hit a three-run homer, giving the Dodgers a 7-5 lead that stood up against the Nationals. Barring something strange, Ohtani will DH and hit in the leadoff spot Monday.

Ohtani’s workouts Saturday apparently went pretty well. Although he’s out of the lineup for a fourth straight game Sunday, he’s about ready to resume hitting while dealing with his knee, biceps and hip issues. There’s still no timetable for him to get back on the mound, however.

It seemed like Ohtani might have a chance of returning tonight after he resumed hitting Saturday, but that’s not the case. We’ll hear from manager Dave Roberts in a bit.

Dodgers’ skipper Dave Roberts said that they’ll see how he feels on Sunday and was optimistic that he could return to the lineup then. The club has been mulling a trip to the injured list for the superstar slugger, but it sounds like he may just need another day or two.

It’s the third straight game that Ohtani has missed due to lingering knee and biceps issues. The Dodgers are reportedly still weighing whether or not the 32-year-old superstar will require a trip to the injured list. Dalton Rushing will function as the team’s designated hitter on Saturday and will bat seventh against Nationals’ right-hander Cade Cavalli.

This is definitely a change from yesterday. Ohtani is out of the lineup for a second straight game tonight because of his knee and biceps issues. According to The Athletic, his left hip has become a problem, too. All things considered, 10 days off doesn’t seem like a bad idea.

The Dodgers downplayed any real sense of concern about Ohtani’s issues last night, but now he’s absent from the DH spot again. Alex Call is again starting there with the Nationals throwing a lefty. Dalton Rushing figures to enter a game once a righty takes over.

Ohtani continues due deal with soreness in his biceps and his knee, and while it’s not enough to shut him down for the season, it sounds like the Dodgers are going to more careful with him and give him plenty of rest days down the stretch to ensure that he’s ready to go for the postseason. Alex Call will function as the Dodgers’ designated hitter on Thursday and will bat eighth against Quinn Mathews and the Cardinals.