Dodgers Likely Shelve Ohtani's Pitching Return for 2026

More than two months have passed since Shohei Ohtani last pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and a return to the mound before the end of 2026 appears increasingly unlikely. Ohtani's last start was on July 3 in a 4-3 home win against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani is 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 85.2 innings across 14 starts this season. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stopped short of officially confirming a pitching shutdown while speaking with Bill Plunkett from The Orange County Register and other reporters, but acknowledged that the calendar and Ohtani's limited recent throwing make the situation clear. "Obviously, if you're looking at the calendar, how much he's thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math," Roberts said. Ohtani has not thrown since an Aug. 28 bullpen session that was expected to be his final step before starting against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 30. That appearance was supposed to be limited to one inning as an opener. The Dodgers then planned to gradually increase his workload, potentially allowing Ohtani to function more like a traditional starter during the postseason. Those plans changed when Ohtani ended the Aug. 28 bullpen early because of discomfort in his right knee and soreness in his right biceps. The issue also kept him completely out of the Dodgers lineup for the last four games. There has been more encouraging news offensively. After Ohtani felt well following batting practice Saturday, Roberts indicated he could return to his regular designated hitter duties tonight against the Cincinnati Reds. His two-way status complicated Los Angeles' handling of the injury. Ohtani would have to be placed on the 15-day Injured List for pitchers rather than the 10-day Injured Lost available to position players. Had the shorter option been available, the Dodgers might have placed him on it retroactively. Even that could have proved overly cautious if he is healthy enough to play tonight, while the 15-day Injured List would unnecessarily sideline one of baseball's best hitters longer. Ohtani has also struggled offensively recently as he's 5-for-39 (.128) in his last 10 games, with no home runs and no RBIs and just a double. That stretch roughly coincides with when he resumed throwing after left knee soreness previously stopped his progression for a couple of weeks. Unlike the structured UCL rehabilitation process Ohtani has completed twice, managing a less predictable injury while simultaneously serving as the everyday DH may have created another challenge. With October approaching, Los Angeles appears prepared to sacrifice his pitching contributions to get his bat healthy. The Dodgers won the 2024 World Series without Ohtani pitching and already project Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow as their top four postseason starters. Eric Lauer, Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki and others can also provide bulk innings, making Ohtani's pitching more of a luxury. Few players understand the physical and mental demands of balancing two completely different disciplines at MLB's highest level. Ohtani's preparation, competitiveness and ability to make adjustments have allowed him to handle responsibilities that virtually no other player carries. For the Dodgers, protecting him means recognizing when one side of his game must temporarily take priority. If pitching is removed from the equation, Ohtani can concentrate entirely on rebuilding his timing, comfort and confidence at the plate. His presence alone changes how opposing pitchers navigate the lineup. For Los Angeles, getting that version of Ohtani ready for October matters more than forcing another return to the mound.