As promised, Shohei Ohtani is back in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ lineup to open the second half.
The Dodgers star missed the 2026 All-Star Game due to “continued irritation in his left knee,” which required him to “have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season,” as the Dodgers put it.
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Those “interventions” were initially report to be a drainage of Ohtani’s knee, likely to be followed by an injection, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters Friday that Ohtani instead received only a “lubricant” injection in the knee, according to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya.
Ohtani is batting in his usual leadoff position as designated hitter for the Dodgers on Friday against the Yankees. However, it might be a while before he’s on the mound again, as Roberts said the team’s expectation is he will next pitch on Wednesday against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Dodgers’ priority is always going to be ensuring Ohtani’s health for the postseason, even if it means limiting Ohtani’s time on the mound during the regular season. It’s been a career best season as a pitcher for Ohtani so far this year, with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts. That would rank second in MLB behind Jacob Misiorowski, if Ohtani had enough innings to qualify for the ERA title.
Ohtani remains the overwhelming favorite to capture his fifth MVP award in six seasons.
