LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani’s left knee remains one of the most closely watched storylines in baseball, but it took him all of five pitches Tuesday night to prove his swing remains untouched.
The left knee inflammation has been a consistent topic of concern following a stretch where the superstar appeared compromised on the basepaths and had his mound progression paused. But prior to Tuesday’s 7-6 loss to the Mariners at Dodger Stadium, manager Dave Roberts made it clear that Ohtani’s lower body isn’t limiting him at the plate.
“He continues to say that the running doesn’t affect his knee,” Roberts said pregame. “And recently, he’s been running harder. So that tells me that his knee feels better and isn’t compromised [by] running or swinging the bat.”
Ohtani backed up his manager’s assessment almost immediately.
Leading off the bottom of the first inning against Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo, Ohtani worked a 2-2 count before driving an 86.5 mph slider deep to center field to give Los Angeles a quick 1-0 lead. He later added an RBI single and an RBI double.
The blast marked Ohtani’s 23rd home run of the season — though his first in 10 games following the All-Star break — and his 10th of the leadoff variety. It was also the 28th leadoff homer of his Dodgers career, tying him with Davey Lopes for the second most in franchise history behind Mookie Betts (32).
The swing brought Ohtani’s total to 132 home runs in his first three seasons in Los Angeles, placing him sixth on the all-time MLB leaderboard for most home runs in a player’s first three years with a franchise. He trails Mark McGwire (Cardinals, 159), Alex Rodriguez (Rangers, 156), Babe Ruth (Yankees, 148), Khris Davis (Athletics, 133) and Roger Maris (Yankees, 133).
But while Ohtani’s bat hasn’t shown as many signs of slowing down, a fuller picture of the physical hurdles he is navigating emerged after the contest.
Roberts disclosed that Ohtani’s mound progression was paused not just due to left knee inflammation, but also a right biceps issue. Discomfort in the biceps first surfaced in early July when Ohtani was removed as a precaution during a start against the Padres. Compensating for lower body discomfort during subsequent throwing sessions placed unintended stress on his upper half — prompting the Dodgers to halt his bullpen work altogether.
“I think there is an effect from the lower half to the compromising of the upper half, the arm,” Roberts said. “Trying to mitigate that, we stopped the throwing, stopped the bullpens — hopefully, number one, take care of the knee and then not have him try to create velocity with the arm that’s not 100 percent.”
Despite the setback on the mound, Roberts emphasized Ohtani’s offensive value remains vital, noting his issues haven’t hindered his performance in the box.
“If we look at him and his value for our ballclub, we need him in the lineup,” Roberts said. “The swing, the running of the bases, the knee, the arm — it doesn’t compromise that. In talking to Shohei and the training staff, that’s where we’re at.”
When asked whether the Dodgers have discussed keeping Ohtani off the mound in October to preserve him as a hitter, Roberts shut down that scenario as an active plan.
“Everything that I’ve heard, that’s not the option,” Roberts said. “I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely. … If the knee continues to get better and the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch. I’m trying to give him the best opportunity to be as healthy as possible so he can help us on both ends of the baseball.”
However, Roberts acknowledged Ohtani’s ability to pitch in the postseason will depend heavily on timing.
“If the World Series is next week, no [he would not pitch],” Roberts said. “He hasn’t been off the mound in three weeks. … Whenever that is, there has to be a buildup, and you’re looking at over three weeks right now. I just don’t think anyone can foresee what [the postseason] looks like.”
Speaking through interpreter Will Ireton, Ohtani confirmed neither his knee nor his biceps are at 100 percent, mentioning that he received a knee injection around the All-Star break. With his pitching progression on hold, Ohtani made it clear his focus remains on contributing at the plate.
“The knee is getting better and the goal is to get to the 100 percent mark,” Ohtani said. “But I do have to focus on the hitting side, the position-player side of things. … It is still July, so I think the conversation will be a little different if we’re in August or September.”
Ohtani added that any potential long-term decisions or treatment options will likely wait until after the Dodgers’ postseason concludes.
