Turns out, Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury is not the only complicating factor in his uncertain status as a pitcher.
Speaking to reporters for the first time in almost three weeks on Tuesday night, Ohtani revealed that his right bicep is also not 100% at the moment.
Manager Dave Roberts added that Ohtani’s bicep did not respond well to a bullpen session he threw in Philadelphia last week, and is part of the reason why he has not attempted another bullpen session since then.
Ohtani has dealt with what he described as minor bicep discomfort a couple times earlier this season, most recently during a July 3 two-way start in which the Dodgers’ star last took the mound in a game.
That night, he said his bicep tightened up on him during an at-bat as a hitter, leading him to be removed from the game early.
Though Ohtani has not made another pitching start since then, the Dodgers had previously attributed the break only to the lingering left knee injury he has been dealing with since mid-June.
Then came Tuesday night, however, when Ohtani disclosed his bicep problem following the Dodgers’ 7-6 loss to the Mariners (a game in which he went 3-for-4 at the plate with his first home run since the All-Star break, while continuing to serve as the Dodgers’ designated hitter).
“There too, it’s a judgment of to what degree I can push it,” Ohtani said in Japanese, describing the precautions being taken with his bicep as similar to those with his knee. “It’s still July. What judgment will be made in August and September can be decided then.”
Speaking after Ohtani’s press availability, Roberts also confirmed that Ohtani’s bicep is also a reason he has not thrown a bullpen session, or even played catch from flat ground, since last Wednesday’s 31-pitch bullpen in Philadelphia.
“I think in the bullpen in Philadelphia, [his bicep] just wasn’t responding [afterward], nor was his knee,” Roberts said. “There is an effect on the lower half to the compromising of the upper half, the arm. So trying to mitigate that, we stopped the throwing, stopped the bullpens. Hopefully No. 1, take care of the knee, and then not try to have him create velocity with the arm that’s not 100%.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Roberts said the Dodgers have not decided when Ohtani might begin ramping up as a pitcher again.
“I’m not sure the next time he’s planning on throwing,” Roberts said, “let alone throwing a ‘pen.”
Even amid Ohtani’s recent physical ailments, the Dodgers have repeatedly expressed confidence that the 32-year-old will be able to return to pitching this season, and that he will be part of their rotation come the playoffs in October.
Ohtani noted on Tuesday night that his knee has felt “much better” since receiving a lubricant injection over the All-Star break, and that his injuries have not impacted him offensively.
“I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely [he doesn’t pitch in October],” Roberts said Tuesday night. “We’re doing all this [right now] number one to make sure that he’s in a good spot health-wise. But given where we’re at in the calendar, if the knee continues to get better, the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch.”
Still, Roberts did acknowledge on Tuesday afternoon that Ohtani has missed enough time as a pitcher at this point that, once he does begin ramping on the mound again, he will have to rebuild stamina in order to return to making full-length starts.
The uncertainty surrounding Ohtani’s status also could factor into the Dodgers’ approach ahead of next Monday’s trade deadline –– and their potential pursuit of two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal, in particular –– though general manager Brandon Gomes downplayed that notion in an interview with The California Post on Tuesday afternoon.
“We feel very good about our pitching,” Gomes said, while also referencing the progress fellow injured starters Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow have made recently in their recoveries.
Still, questions about Ohtani’s health will persist, especially now that his knee is not the only thing that isn’t 100%.
“For now, I think it’s best to wait,” Ohtani said. “We lost today, but as a team, without a doubt, we’re in a good position. So whether I should force myself to pitch through this is something I think I should decide while talking to the team. I think the team’s judgment is that we’re not there yet.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
