The Los Angeles Dodgers reaffirmed their status as the best team in the majors with a series victory over the New York Yankees to kick off the second half of the season. The main storyline surrounding this team right now, though, is Shohei Ohtani‘s injury status, which led manager Dave Roberts to again address the situation on Monday.
The Dodgers have shut down Ohtani from pitching for the time being as he continues to deal with a bothersome left knee injury. Los Angeles has played it coy when discussing a potential timeline for Ohtani to return to the mound, but the latest update from Roberts makes it sound like the two-way superstar is trending in the right direction at the very least.
Dave Roberts Provides New Shohei Ohtani Injury Update
While Ohtani has been producing at a high level at the plate once again this year (.290 BA, 22 HR, 60 RBI, .938 OPS), he hasn’t managed to reach the same heights he’s hit over the past few years. When he was fully healthy, though, he more than made up for it with his production on the mound.
Injuries have largely hampered Ohtani in his quest to remain a pitcher in addition to being arguably the best hitter in the league, but through 14 starts this season, he has been phenomenal (8-2, 1.79 ERA, 95 K, 0.95 WHIP). The injury woes have flared back up, though, as Ohtani has only made one start over the past month, thanks to a lingering knee injury.
Los Angeles is playing it safe with Ohtani, which is understandable when considering the World Series aspirations this team possesses. However, the team’s decision to continually push back Ohtani’s next start, without offering any sort of timetable as to when he could return to the mound, is concerning. Roberts revealed that while he doesn’t know when Ohtani’s next start will be, he’s taking steps forward in his injury rehab process.
“Dave Roberts expects Shohei Ohtani to begin throwing off the mound this weekend but no specific timetable yet when he will make his next start for the Dodgers,” Bob Nightengale of USA Today wrote in a post on X.
Dodgers Looking for Shohei Ohtani to Continue Starring at the Plate
GettyShohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during batting practice prior to the game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on June 13, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Zoe Davis/Getty Images)
At this point, as long as Ohtani is healthy for the playoffs, the Dodgers won’t be case how many starts he makes throughout the rest of the regular season. And if there’s a silver lining, Ohtani’s injury isn’t preventing him from continuing to lead the way at the plate for Los Angeles, so at least he is still contributing for the time being.
Los Angeles’ starting rotation has battled injuries all year long, and it doesn’t seem like that will be changing anytime soon. With that in mind, it’s going to be up to the lineup to continue shouldering the load for the time being. After taking two out of three against the Yankees, the Dodgers will kick off a new three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday night.
Dodgers’ Dave Roberts Issues Shohei Ohtani Message Amid Injury Concern