Shohei

Ohtani

The homer, his 14th of the year, led off the game against Sean Burke. Ohtani didn’t show much enthusiasm on the bases today while playing through some knee soreness. It’s safe to say he won’t be a basestealing threat for at least a little while.

He’s back. Ohtani returns to the lineup at DH and will hit leadoff after sitting out Friday’s series opener to rest his ailing left knee. The encouraging news is that a precautionary MRI revealed no structural damage. The 31-year-old two-way superstar is expected to be given the green light to take the mound on Wednesday against the Rays in his next start.

Ohtani underwent an MRI on his left knee, which revealed nothing more than normal wear and tear. Roberts noted that it won’t be a situation where Ohtani needs to go on the injured list and that he’ll return at some point this weekend. It’s an ongoing situation that fantasy managers should continue monitoring, but it doesn’t sound like a significant concern.

Ohtani was removed from Thursday’s game as a precautionary measure due to inflammation in his left knee. The Dodgers have opted to take a very cautious approach here with their two-way superstar and will give him at least an extra night off to rest. Santiago Espinal will fill in as the Dodgers’ designated hitter on Friday and will bat eighth against Anthony Kay and the White Sox.

Ohtani felt something in his knee during a stolen base attempt on a foul ball earlier in the game on Thursday and the Dodgers wanted to be proactive and give him a few innings off to end the game rather than pushing it. They’ll wait and see how he feels on Friday, but the expectation is that he’ll return to the lineup. Either way, he shouldn’t be looking at any sort of extended absence.

Ohtani had homered for the second consecutive game and was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored before he was surprisingly pinch-hit for in the seventh inning, signaling that something was up. It’s the same knee that Ohtani had surgically repaired back in 2019, so they’re obviously going to proceed out of an abundance of caution. The Dodgers should have an update on his status after the game.

Ohtani struck out six and walked three while receiving a no-decision. He later homered in the top of the ninth to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to one, but it was too little too late. He now has a microscopic 1.06 ERA. Wednesday’s start was the first time this season he allowed more than two earned runs. He’ll aim to continue one of the best pitching stretches of his career with a home start against the Rays next time out.

Ohtani started the first inning with a single and scored on a two-run homer by Andy Pages. The Dodgers would hit around the order in the frame, putting up nine runs, including a two-run homer by Ohtani. The 31-year-old star is up to 11 homers while slashing .300/.417/.524 with 43 runs scored, 35 RBI, and six steals across 279 plate appearances.

Ohtani was a little wild early in this one, but he worked through it in turning in his fifth scoreless start of the year. He’s allowed a total of five earned runs in 61 innings, which amounts to a 0.74 ERA, and he’s now won four starts in a row. It’s shaping up to be a fascinating Cy Young race in the NL this year. MVP, on the other hand, probably won’t be interesting at all as long as Ohtani remains healthy. Ohtani will probably pitch again next Wednesday against the Pirates.

Roberts added that Ohtani will be available off the bench, but won’t be in the lineup after a two-way outing during Wednesday’s contest at Chase Field. It makes sense that the Dodgers want to build in some extra rest to keep the 31-year-old unicorn fresh for the full season. He’s had a remarkable year with a 0.82 ERA across 55 innings on the mound.