Shohei Ohtani Rested After Biceps and Neck Discomfort

Shohei Ohtani, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star, missed the series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals after appearing uncomfortable on the mound. The right-handed slugger reported lingering pain in his right biceps and neck, symptoms that have persisted for weeks. He has also been sidelined from pitching since July 3 because of left-knee soreness. Prior to the rest, Ohtani was batting .279 and had struck out four consecutive times for the first time this season. His last pitching line before the break was an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA over 14 starts.

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Manager Dave Roberts explained that the decision to sit Ohtani was based on the visible grimacing and shaking of his arm, indicating the injury was affecting his ability to throw. Roberts emphasized that roster decisions would not be made solely on Ohtani’s reputation, noting the need to assess his health day-to-day. He added that the Dodgers must navigate the remaining weeks of the season while aiming to keep Ohtani healthy for a potential October run at a third straight World Series title.

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• Batting average: .279

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• Strikeouts in a row: four (first time this season)

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• Pitching record before rest: 8-2, 1.79 ERA in 14 starts

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• Recent bullpen work: a 20-pitch session on a Friday, followed by a scratch from a Detroit start two days later

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• “He knows that it was the right decision,” — Dave Roberts, manager

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• “That's why I think you saw some grimacing and some kind of shaking of the arm, just trying to get it to fire, and he couldn't do that,” — Dave Roberts, manager

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• “He wants to be in there, but I'm not going to just put him in there because of the name on the back of his jersey,” — Dave Roberts, manager

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• “It's up to us to kind of figure out how we navigate these next three-and-a-half, four weeks,” — Dave Roberts, manager

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Roberts said he will reconvene with Ohtani and the training staff on Thursday to determine the player’s status for the upcoming series opener against the Washington Nationals. The manager indicated that a short-term injured-list stint remains “unlikely, but not impossible,” leaving Ohtani’s role in the final stretch of the season undecided.

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