The Los Angeles Dodgers snagged a much needed win on Monday, beating the Colorado Rockies 11-5. After losing three out of four games to the Milwaukee Brewers, it was good news. Even better news was the latest injury update on Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani hasn’t been able to pitch since July 3rd because of a painful left knee. That’s the knee he lands on when he pitches, but he’s taking strides to get back, throwing a bullpen session that he reported to feel good after.
“Felt good the next day,” Ohtani said through an interpreter.
Ohtani is scheduled for another bullpen on Tuesday as he continues the rehab process. Hopefully, that feels good again, which would help him get back on the mound more quickly.
“That’s the hope, and that’s the reason why we’ve been pretty careful in the rehab process,” Ohtani said. “That’s the ideal outcome — to make sure that I come back as soon as possible.”
Injuries have been an issue in the past for Ohtani, particularly injuries that limit his ability to pitch. That includes Tommy John Surgery twice. Meanwhile, he has suffered from a bipartite patella issue, which is a knee injury.
Los Angeles Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Was a Cy Young Candidate at One Point
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani
It’s now been about a month and a half since Shohei Ohtani was able to pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That’s probably going to end any hopes he had of winning the Cy Young Award, but at one point this season, he was a very real candidate to win both the Cy Young and the MVP Award.
In 14 starts this season, Ohtani has a 1.79 ERA, a 0.946 WHIP, and 10.0 strikeouts per nine. That’s in 85.2 innings pitched before the knee injury derailed his season on the mound.
Ohtani was always facing an uphill battle to win the Cy Young Award. After all, the Dodgers limit his innings and workload to try and avoid injuries to their two-way star. Even if he hits the ground running at that level once he’s healthy, he won’t have had the bulk of appearances needed to win.
Still, Ohtani is very much in the MVP race. Getting back on the mound and pitching well again would only solidify that.
The Dodgers Need Pitching Help Quickly
GettyLos Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani
There’s no doubt that the Dodgers have found themselves in one of their worst stretches all season long. Going back to July 31st, which began a series against the Boston Red Sox, the Dodgers have a record of just 6-11.
In the process, the Dodgers slipped out of the top seed in the National League. The Brewers took that from them and now the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs are both also surging.
Through that stretch, pitching has become a major issue for the Dodgers. Part of that certainly comes down to injuries. Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell both missed significant time this season. Not to mention Gavin Stone hasn’t pitched at all. That’s just to the rotation, before considering the bullpen’s injuries.
The good news is that Snell was back on the mound on Monday, and Glasnow is in the rehab process. On top of that, the Dodgers added Tarik Skubal at the Trade Deadline. The two-time AL Cy Young winner will pair nicely at the top of the rotation with Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In that respect, it seems like the Dodgers rotation should be in good shape fairly quickly.
Of course, there are still some major concerns about the bullpen. There, star closer Edwin Diaz has an 11.85 ERA this season, which has contributed to their 3.98 ERA for the season.
Like HEAVY’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Dodgers Star Shohei Ohtani Shares Injury Update on Knee Following Bullpen appeared first on HEAVY.