Shohei Ohtani continues to deal with a lingering knee injury for the Los Angeles Dodgers. While he has remained in the lineup as the designated hitter, he hasn’t pitched since before the All-Star break.
Ohtani was originally expected to make his next start on Wednesday, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts scratched him after explaining the injury would keep him out longer than a typical day-to-day issue.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale recently reported that Roberts expected Ohtani’s next step in his recovery to come over the weekend with a bullpen session.
However, that timeline appears to have accelerated.
Latest Ohtani Sighting
Ahead of Wednesday’s series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies, Ohtani reportedly threw a bullpen session. Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic captured the throwing session on video.
Check it out:
70mm IMAX footage of said bullpen session: https://t.co/6GaPZXyOII pic.twitter.com/km4yqsvEsh
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) July 22, 2026
It was reported that Ohtani threw 34 pitches during the session. According to Japanese media members, he mixed in his full pitch repertoire, which is an encouraging sign for his recovery and potential return later this month or in August.
Ohtani’s 2026 Season
Ohtani is putting together another stellar season both at the plate and on the mound. Entering the year, he made it a goal to win his first Cy Young Award, and before the injury, he had firmly established himself as one of the National League’s top contenders.
The biggest hurdle is his workload. Ohtani has thrown just 85.2 innings this season, fewer than most National League Cy Young candidates. Even so, he owns an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA across 14 starts.
At the plate, he’s slashing .287/.531/.925 with 102 hits in 356 at-bats. He has also totaled 22 home runs and 60 RBIs entering Wednesday.
Roberts Staying Cautious With Ohtani
Roberts acknowledged Ohtani could likely pitch through the discomfort if necessary. However, with the Dodgers chasing a third consecutive World Series title, the organization isn’t willing to take that risk.
“It’s not going to be a day-to-day thing,” Roberts said. “The first step is getting him into a spot where he feels like, and we feel like, he can pitch and not regress. At that point in time, we can kind of read and react. I just can’t even answer [when that might be] right now.
“Could he probably do it? Sure,” Roberts said of Ohtani trying to pitch through his knee injury now. “But right now, the benefits just don’t seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot.”
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