Shohei Ohtani has opened up about the knee injury that continues to bother him halfway through the season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced early Friday that Ohtani was expected to miss his scheduled start as a pitcher later that day against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. On top of that, the team also revealed that Ohtani was no longer going to travel to Philadelphia for the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. The issue was labeled as “continued irritation in his left knee.”
Ohtani still played in Friday’s 9-3 loss to the Diamondbacks as a designated hitter. After the game, he gave more insight into the knee injury.
“It affects more of my pitching rather than the hitting side of the game,” Ohtani said via his interpreter.
“Although I could’ve started today, it would’ve still been pushing the envelope a little bit.”
Ohtani also said that the goal was for him to “be able to throw according to regular schedule” once the season resumes after the All-Star break, but added that he may need to tweak his throwing mechanics to avoid injuring himself further.
In the team’s statement announcing Ohtani’s injury, the Dodgers said that Ohtani would undergo “some interventions on his knee” to ensure he’s healthy for the stretch run of the 2026 season.
According to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, the said “interventions” include having Shohei’s left knee drained and potentially receiving an injection to relieve him of the pain.
Ohtani didn’t let his injured knee affect his performance at the plate. He took Diamondbacks ace Eduardo Rodriguez deep three pitches into Friday’s game for his 21st home run of the season.
