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Shohei Ohtani has been pitching through a blister on his right hand over his last few starts, per Dodger Blue. Ohtani was spotted picking and biting at his right hand during his start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 4, and the issue has apparently been lingering for multiple outings. Despite the discomfort, he’s continued to pitch at an elite level, and the Dodgers don’t appear to view it as something that will force him to miss any time.

Ohtani’s durability story this season has been remarkable in its own right. After undergoing UCL surgery following the 2023 season and sitting out all of 2024 as a pitcher, he returned to the mound in 2025 and has only gotten sharper in 2026. His two-way workload is something no modern player has sustained at this level, so any hand issue — even a minor one — gets our attention. Blisters are common for pitchers, but they can also become a nagging problem if they crack open or don’t heal properly between starts. The fact that Ohtani has been effective enough that we didn’t even notice until cameras caught him fidgeting with his hand tells you where he is right now as a pitcher.

For context, blisters have derailed stretches for plenty of good pitchers over the years. Rich Hill famously dealt with recurring blister problems that cost him multiple stints on the injured list during his time with the Dodgers and other clubs. That’s an extreme case, but it illustrates why even a “little” blister gets tracked closely. The skin needs time to toughen up, and the repetitive stress of throwing a baseball 90-plus miles per hour makes that difficult. Pitching coaches and training staffs have all sorts of tricks — superglue, moisturizers, filing techniques — to manage these things, and I’d expect the Dodgers’ staff is all over it.

The good news is that Ohtani himself doesn’t seem concerned, and the team clearly isn’t pulling him from starts over it. He just got a rest day on the position-player side for the series finale against Arizona, which at least reduces some of the overall physical wear. That’s smart management from Dave Roberts and the staff — give him a breather with the bat so the arm stays fresh.

I’ll be watching his next start closely. If the blister worsens or he starts losing command because he can’t grip the ball the way he wants, that changes the calculus. But right now, this feels like a maintenance issue rather than a real scare. The Dodgers need Ohtani on the mound, and he’s shown zero interest in backing off. We just have to hope the hand cooperates.

Source(s): Staff (Dodger Blue) | First reported: June 5, 2026 8:02 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers