Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani scratched from Wednesday start, pitching return unclear

By Olivia Hughes — 20 July 2026 — 3 min read

Ohtani’s Pitching Status

Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers will not make his scheduled pitching start on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Manager Dave Roberts indicated that Ohtani‘s return to the mound is uncertain and will take “some time,” rather than being a day-to-day decision. This comes after initial positive reports regarding his recovery from an injection in his left knee, but subsequent evaluation after playing catch led the team to give him more time.

The decision to push back Ohtani‘s start was made after observing his knee’s response to playing catch. Roberts noted that the torque involved in landing on his leg during pitching tends to aggravate the knee. While Ohtani did not test throwing off a mound, the team determined that his start needed to be postponed.

Managing Knee Irritation

Ohtani‘s left knee has been a concern, leading to this precautionary measure. Roberts emphasized that the team is in a strong position, cruising towards another NL West title, which allows them to prioritize Ohtani‘s long-term health. The manager stated that while Ohtani could likely pitch, the benefits do not outweigh the potential costs at this point in the season.

His last pitching appearance was on July 3, where he allowed three earned runs over six innings in a 4-3 victory against the San Diego Padres. Ohtani had previously skipped his last scheduled start before the All-Star break and the All-Star Game itself to rest and receive a lubricating Orthovisc shot in his knee. Despite the pitching setback, Ohtani continues his duties as a designated hitter, as hitting does not appear to aggravate his knee.

The Dodgers‘ focus remains on ensuring Ohtani is healthy for October. The knee issue has not impacted his hitting performance, as he recorded two hits in the Dodgers‘ 8-2 win over the New York Yankees in the first game of a doubleheader. He also contributed an RBI single in the eighth inning of that game.

Rotation Depth and Future Outlook

The Dodgers have managed a significant number of injuries in recent years, yet their success has been maintained due to the depth of talent within the organization. Even with Ohtani unavailable to pitch and both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the 60-day injured list, the team’s rotation includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Eric Lauer.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a complete game against the Yankees, holding them to four hits and striking out seven, improving his record to 10-6. This performance helped lighten the load on the bullpen. To fill Ohtani‘s spot, Emmet Sheehan‘s start was moved to Monday, with Justin Wrobleski and Eric Lauer set to start other games against the Phillies.

The Dodgers are committed to maintaining a six-to-seven man rotation. With upcoming off-days, they may not require a sixth starter through the end of the month, potentially utilizing a spot start or bullpen day to manage the rotation. Blake Snell is also progressing in his return from the injured list, having thrown 1-1/3 innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday to begin his rehab assignment, and is scheduled to pitch again on Friday.

The team is not expected to rush Snell‘s return despite Ohtani‘s current pitching status. The Dodgers have until the August 3 trade deadline to consider acquiring another depth starter if concerns about their rotation health increase.

Source: mlbtraderumors.com