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Before the start of the Los Angeles Dodgers series against the New York Yankees, manager Dave Roberts explained what kind of work Shohei Ohtani got on his left knee.
Ohtani has been suffering from left knee soreness and inflammation, dating back to the middle of June.
He missed only one game due to the injury before returning to the lineup regularly.
However, Ohtani missed his last start as a pitcher against the Arizona Diamondbacks to give his knee some rest , and he also elected not to travel to Philadelphia for the All-Star Game.
Oct 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter player Shohei Ohtani (17) is greeted at the dugout by manager Dave Roberts (30) after scoring a run in the first inning of game three of the NLCS during the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images After the last game of the D-Backs series on Sunday, Ohtani had work done on his knee, which was supposed to include draining it and a pain-relieving injection , per Roberts.
During the All-Star break , however, Roberts said that Ohtani was in fact not going to get an injection and simply drain it.
On Friday, the skipper clarified that Ohtani got a lubricant injection, rather than the knee draining.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Dodgers Nation (@dodgersnation) What is Shohei Ohtanis knee injury? The left knee issues come from landing on it throughout a pitching start, over 100 times, once a week, on top of his hitting workload.
To give himself a chance to get right and pitch normally in the second half, Ohtani accepted the teams advice and did not make his start before the break, something he is known for not wanting to do.
Jul 3, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) walks back to the dugout following the second inning against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Jon Endow-Imagn Images He wants to play both sides of the ball as much as possible, so while missing a start was not easy, it was seen as a necessary evil at this point.
Luckily, it looks like his upcoming bullpen session this weekend will go well.
Ohtani is slated to return as a pitcher for the Phillies series, spanning Monday to Wednesday, with Wednesday most likely the pitching start date.
Despite the confusion and disappointment of waiting this long to see him pitch again, Dodgers fans should expect the full Ohtani experience soon enough.