Nationals Dodgers: Will Shohei Ohtani pitch in October?
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani remains day-to-day and has not pitched since July 3, sitting out a second straight game in the Nationals Dodgers series with lingering biceps, neck and knee issues. Manager Dave Roberts still has not shut him down as a pitcher for October, but hitting comes first. That priority now shapes every decision as the postseason nears, according to reporting from ESPN and MLB.com.
Key Takeaways
- Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 and sat out consecutive games amid right biceps, neck and left knee soreness.
- Roberts says offensive value cannot be compromised; the Dodgers can envision a title without his October innings but not without his bat.
- An injured-list stint is under discussion after he missed a second straight Nationals Dodgers contest, though status remains day-to-day.
- Shutting him down as a pitcher is an option, but Roberts says the call ultimately needs Ohtani’s buy-in.
Will Shohei Ohtani pitch in the October postseason?
The short answer: maybe in a limited role, but only if it does not hurt his hitting. ESPN reports Ohtani has not thrown off a mound in a week after a bullpen session was cut short by left-knee and right-biceps soreness. He has not pitched in a game since July 3.
With the playoffs less than a month away, building him back as a traditional starter looks unrealistic. Even so, the Dodgers have not closed the door. A few October innings—as an opener or late-game option—would not cost an extra roster pitcher and could still help, ESPN notes.
Roberts called shutting Ohtani down as a pitcher “an option,” adding that it is “his decision” if he feels capable. For more sports-meets-performance coverage, see our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub.
Why did Ohtani sit again against the Nationals?
Ohtani was held out Thursday after visible discomfort in Wednesday’s final at-bat—a night he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts and felt soreness in his neck and arm. Per MLB.com, Friday’s Nationals Dodgers opener marked the first time this season he had not started back-to-back games as a hitter.
Yahoo Sports and the AP reported he smiled in the dugout during Thursday’s walk-off win over St. Louis, which Roberts called a good sign. Symptoms in the right biceps, neck and left knee have not improved in recent weeks. Roberts said he is “hopeful, but I wouldn’t say confident” about avoiding the injured list.
General manager Brandon Gomes said Thursday that a 10-day IL move was not yet a clear win if it kept Ohtani out of the lineup. Roberts warned that if three days pass and nothing changes, the no-IL choice may not have been right.
Do the Dodgers need Ohtani’s pitching or his bat more?
Roberts left little doubt: “His value offensively is hugely important, and so we can’t compromise that in any fashion.” ESPN notes Los Angeles still projects one of baseball’s strongest postseason rotations with Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.
The offense has been far less reliable. Since early July, Dodgers hitters rank near the bottom of the majors in OPS and runs per game, ESPN reports. Ohtani entered the stretch batting .279 with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs overall, but since restarting a throwing program Aug. 8 he has hit .204 with a .704 OPS, per MLB.com.
Roberts has said he does not see Ohtani at 100% by season’s end, yet many pitchers remain useful short of full health. For now, the Nationals Dodgers series is a checkpoint: rest first, protect the bat, and keep October pitching alive only if the body allows.