Shohei Ohtani Could Pitch July 22 After Knee Injection, Dodgers Say

Shohei Ohtani is lined up to make his first pitching start after the All-Star break on Wednesday, July 22, against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia after receiving a lubricating injection in his left knee, with the Los Angeles Dodgers planning to monitor him closely.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, as reported by MLB.com on Friday, that the plan is not final and depends on how Ohtani responds over the next several days. Ohtani is scheduled to face the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, but Roberts said, “I think it’s all contingent on how his knee is feeling.” Roberts said Ohtani still must get through catch play and a side session before the start is fully locked in.

Ohtani received treatment for soreness and irritation in his left knee during the All-Star break. The Dodgers said the treatment was a lubricating hyaluronic-acid injection, identified in the MLB.com report as Orthovisc. The club opted for that treatment instead of arthroscopic drainage and expects the injection, along with the extra rest during the break, to help calm the knee.

The issue has lingered for more than a month. Ohtani first left a game on June 11 at Pittsburgh with left-knee inflammation. He was then scratched from his final scheduled start before the break on July 10 because of what the Dodgers called continued irritation in the knee. At that time, the club also announced that Ohtani would miss the All-Star Game so he could receive treatment during the break.

Because Ohtani is central to the Dodgers as both a middle-of-the-order bat and a pitcher, any health decision affects two parts of the roster. Roberts said the Dodgers are prepared to stay flexible with his usage as they bring him back to the mound. “I think we are certainly more prepared to back off on the workload if it calls for it. But Shohei wants to be out there as much as he possibly can,” Roberts said. Roberts added that he would also prefer to sit Ohtani the day after he pitches, saying, “I think it’s safe to say even if there isn’t an off-day behind it, I would like to give him that next day off.”

For now, Ohtani remains available as a hitter. He led off as the Dodgers’ designated hitter in their second-half opener Friday night at Yankee Stadium. That gives Los Angeles some continuity while it evaluates whether he is ready to return to the rotation, and the club’s position in the standings gives it room to be careful: As of Friday, the Dodgers owned the best record in the majors and held a double-digit lead in the NL West.