Shohei Ohtani Injury Update: Dodgers Star to Have Left Knee Drained, Miss All-Star Game With Irritation

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is set to undergo a minor knee procedure during the All-Star break after lingering irritation in his left knee forced him to skip both his final pitching start of the first half and Tuesday's All-Star Game in Philadelphia, the team confirmed this week.

Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled Friday start against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to continued discomfort in his left knee, a team statement said. He remained available as the Dodgers' designated hitter throughout the weekend series, homering in his very first at-bat after being pulled from the pitching rotation, his 21st home run of the season and eighth leadoff blast, tied with Washington's James Wood for the most in the majors. Following Sunday's series finale against Arizona, Ohtani is scheduled to have fluid drained from his left knee, followed by a cortisone injection intended to relieve the inflammation.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the decision to use the All-Star break for treatment was a proactive one rather than a response to any acute setback. "He's been managing this quite well, the knee," Roberts said. "So if there's a chance that we could kind of be proactive and get it drained and do whatever we need to do to try to manage it, along with the rest for the All-Star break, we were going to do that." Roberts confirmed the procedure does not involve surgery and said he does not believe the injury will prevent Ohtani from continuing to pitch in the second half of the season, though the team has not yet finalized exactly where he will slot back into the rotation following the break.

Ohtani's knee issue traces back to at least June 11, after he experienced inflammation following a stolen base attempt during a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He missed only one game immediately following that incident and had continued playing through the discomfort in the weeks since, with the Dodgers monitoring the injury closely and limiting his stolen base attempts as a precaution. The injury involves the same left knee that underwent surgery in 2019 to repair a bipartite patella, a rare congenital condition in which the kneecap develops as two separate bones rather than one.

Speaking with reporters, Ohtani offered his most detailed public explanation yet of the injury, describing the discomfort as centered specifically around his kneecap. "It's more around the kneecap. My range of motion is a little limited, and that's why we've been monitoring it over the last few weeks," Ohtani said. He indicated the decision to treat the knee now, rather than continue pushing through it, was based on how the joint had responded over recent starts. "There's a lot of just up and down, just seeing how the knee really handled the last couple weeks. And really, the decision was made to do the injection after seeing how the knee reacted over the last couple weeks."

Ohtani made clear he believed he could have taken the mound Friday had the situation called for it, but said the team ultimately opted for a longer-term approach given the timing within the season. "If I had pushed it, I probably could have pitched today. But the goal is to use these extra days to be in a better place for my next start," Ohtani said. He explained that pitching, rather than hitting, places the greater strain on the injured knee. "Pitching puts much more stress on it than hitting. At the plate, I've basically been able to do everything without any problems."

Ohtani attributed part of the issue to his pitching mechanics rather than viewing it as an isolated injury, describing the broader physical toll of returning to full two-way duty this season. "I see the overall wear and tear. What's been happening over the course of this year, I believe it's more of a wear and tear," he said. "But in terms of the knee, I think it's more of my pitching mechanics. So that's something I need to work on." He added that he plans to adjust his mechanics, potentially related to how he plants his foot during his pitching motion, in order to reduce pressure on the joint going forward.

Roberts emphasized that the team's cautious approach reflects a broader philosophy of prioritizing Ohtani's long-term health over short-term results, even amid Ohtani's pursuit of individual accolades this season. "I think that No. 1, he's always said, we've always said, the goal is October, for all of our players," Roberts said. "With that, yeah, he's had the Cy Young in mind, and understandably so. But nothing is going to come in front of being healthy for October." Roberts also noted that Ohtani likely would have continued pitching through the discomfort had the injury occurred later in the season, during the postseason push. "The knee flared up; sometimes it calms down," Ohtani said of the injury's inconsistent pattern over recent weeks.

Despite the injury, Ohtani's production has remained remarkable through the first half of the season. He enters the break with a .290 batting average, a .943 OPS and 21 home runs, alongside an 8-2 record and 1.79 ERA as a starting pitcher, a mark that ranks second in all of Major League Baseball among qualified starters. Ohtani was the leading vote-getter among National League players heading into this year's All-Star Game and remains a heavy favorite to win his fourth consecutive Most Valuable Player award, despite now being sidelined for the Midsummer Classic itself. He was originally expected to serve as the NL's starting designated hitter and to potentially get one or two at-bats in the game, though he was not expected to pitch or participate in the Home Run Derby even before the knee issue was disclosed.

Ohtani has also been managing other minor physical issues this season, including a tweaked right biceps that forced an early exit from a July 3 game and a blister on his right hand, though the Dodgers have said neither factored into the decision to treat the knee during the break. The Dodgers enter the second half of the season with the best record in Major League Baseball, sitting at 61-36 and holding an 11.5-game lead in the National League West despite having just been swept by the Diamondbacks to close out the first half.

With the procedure scheduled for after Sunday's game and the All-Star break providing several days of additional recovery time, the Dodgers remain optimistic that Ohtani will return to his usual pitching schedule shortly after the break, though the club has said further details on his exact return timeline and rotation slot will be finalized as he responds to the treatment in the coming days.