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Shohei Ohtani is out of the Dodgers’ starting lineup for a second consecutive game due to his lingering knee issue, per MLB.com. He is, however, available to pinch-hit — a small but meaningful distinction that suggests the club isn’t shutting him down entirely as a hitter, even as they continue to manage the knee carefully.

Ohtani’s knee has been an ongoing storyline for weeks now, and it’s clearly affecting the Dodgers’ plans on multiple fronts. We already knew he’d been shut down from pitching after a right biceps issue surfaced on top of the knee problem, effectively shelving any timeline for his return to the mound. Now the knee is costing him consecutive starts in the batting order — something we haven’t seen from Ohtani in nearly a month, with his previous missed game coming back on July 4.

For a player who has been one of the most durable and productive hitters in baseball this season, sitting out back-to-back games is notable. Ohtani entered 2026 as the reigning NL MVP after his remarkable first year in Los Angeles, where he slashed .310/.390/.646 with 54 home runs. He’s been similarly dominant this year, anchoring the middle of the Dodgers’ lineup on a near-daily basis. Losing him from the starting nine — even temporarily — changes the complexion of the order significantly.

The pinch-hit availability does provide some reassurance. It tells us the knee isn’t at the point where the Dodgers are keeping him off his feet entirely. He can still swing a bat, take an at-bat in a high-leverage spot, and presumably run the bases if needed. But the fact that they don’t want him standing in the outfield or running around for nine innings says the knee is bothering him enough that rest is the priority.

This also adds another layer to the Dodgers’ trade deadline calculus. With the deadline upon us, the front office is already navigating Ohtani’s pitching absence, Tyler Glasnow‘s rehab timeline, and a roster that needs reinforcements. If Ohtani’s knee continues to cost him starts — or limits him to DH-only duties for an extended stretch — that changes how Andrew Friedman evaluates roster construction over the next few months. The Dodgers have built this roster around Ohtani being a two-way force. Right now, he’s not even an everyday one-way player.

I don’t think this is panic time. The Dodgers are clearly being cautious, and pinch-hit availability suggests this is more about load management than a serious structural concern. But two straight missed starts heading into August is something we need to keep an eye on. If this becomes three, four, five games — or if the pinch-hit availability disappears — then we’re in different territory.

Source(s): Staff (MLB.com) | First reported: July 31, 2026 12:46 AM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers