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Shohei Ohtani‘s path back to the mound has hit a speed bump. Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Saturday that momentum toward Ohtani‘s pitching return has stalled, with the two-way star still dealing with left knee trouble and right bicep soreness, per Katie Woo at The Athletic. The timeline for Ohtani taking the ball remains unclear.

Ohtani has been sidelined from pitching duties all season while recovering from offseason elbow surgery. The addition of knee and bicep complications to his injury profile only extends the runway before he can rejoin the rotation. For a player whose value is tied to his dual-sport contributions, any delay in returning to pitching represents a meaningful setback. Ohtani‘s ability to impact games on the mound has been central to what makes him valuable—losing that dimension, even temporarily, changes the equation for our lineup construction and depth.

We’re still waiting on a more definitive timeline from the team. Roberts didn’t rule Ohtani out entirely for the stretch run, but the language suggests caution, not optimism. The Dodgers aren’t going to rush him back and risk a repeat of the offseason injury that got us here in the first place. That’s the right call, but it’s a reminder of how fragile a season can be when your best talent is fighting health battles.

Source(s): Katie Woo (The Athletic) | First reported: August 29, 2026 3:56 PM UTC

God Bless and Go Dodgers