Shohei Ohtani was thought to be close to a return to the mound, but the latest update the Los Angeles Dodgers provided Saturday is not exactly an encouraging one.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Saturday there is still a chance Ohtani could return to the mound on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers. However, Ohtani is still “not 100 percent” and only threw an abbreviated bullpen session on Friday.
The Dodgers still are unsure if Shohei Ohtani will start tomorrow’s game and rejoin the rotation, but Dave Roberts said just now Ohtani is “not 100%,” both with his left knee and his right bicep. They’re still weighing the pros and cons. His bullpen was abbreviated yesterday.
— Alden González (@Alden_Gonzalez) August 29, 2026
If Ohtani could not even get through a bullpen session Friday, it is hard to believe the Dodgers would want to risk starting him in a game. The fact that both his bicep and knee still are not fully healed also has to be cause for concern.
The Dodgers floated the notion of starting Ohtani on Sunday earlier this week and seemed optimistic that it would happen. That optimism certainly seems to be tempered now.
Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to issues with his left knee. The fact that he is still having those issues nearly two months later has to be worrisome, but the team has the luxury of time and a near-certain playoff berth to ensure that they have no need to rush him back to the mound. Still, they would unquestionably prefer to get him into game action before the playoffs start if they want to pitch him during the postseason.
