Ohtani not 100% on knee as Tyler Glasnow gets Dodgers start
Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for the Los Angeles Dodgers in the coming days after discomfort in his troublesome left knee surfaced during a shortened 20-pitch bullpen session Friday in Detroit. Tyler Glasnow will start Sunday's series finale against the Tigers instead, and manager Dave Roberts confirmed Ohtani is "not 100%" with no target date for a mound return.
The setback derails a comeback that looked promising just days ago. Ohtani had not pitched since July 3 due to left knee inflammation and was on track to rejoin the rotation after a 30-pitch simulated game last Saturday. For viewers tracking pennant-race coverage, this ranks among the biggest Streaming & TV Alerts updates of the weekend.
Key Takeaways
- Ohtani reported discomfort after a Friday bullpen that lasted only 20 pitches, well below his typical 30-pitch between-starts session.
- Tyler Glasnow starts Sunday in Detroit; Eric Lauer starts Tuesday in Los Angeles.
- Roberts cited left knee irritation, lingering right biceps soreness, and overall body soreness as limiting factors.
- The Dodgers have not decided to shut Ohtani down from pitching for the rest of the 2026 season.
- Roberts said Ohtani's value at the plate outweighs his value on the mound given the rotation's current depth.
Why did Ohtani's mound return get delayed?
Ohtani's bullpen was originally scheduled earlier in the week in Atlanta but was pushed to Friday at Comerica Park. The session lasted roughly 20 pitches, 10 to 15 throws shorter than usual, and Ohtani did not feel fully healthy afterward, according to ESPN.
Roberts said Saturday that "the arm, the knee" and Ohtani's overall body were not at full strength. Sunday had been the most logical day for a one-inning opener appearance, which would have given Ohtani five turns through the rotation before the regular season ended. That timeline now appears highly unlikely.
Who replaces Ohtani in the Dodgers rotation?
Tyler Glasnow will start Sunday's game against Detroit. Glasnow, who returned Tuesday after three and a half months on the injured list, was already scheduled to handle most of the innings in a piggyback role behind Ohtani if the two-way star had been cleared.
Eric Lauer will start Tuesday's home opener. The Dodgers' rotation without Ohtani still features Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Glasnow — a group that posted a 2.38 ERA over a recent seven-start stretch, per the Los Angeles Times.
Should the Dodgers shut Ohtani down from pitching?
Roberts has not made that call yet. "Take tomorrow off the table, let's get back to L.A., let's kind of figure out where his body is at, and then go from there," he said after Saturday's 2-1 walk-off loss to Detroit.
The manager was blunt about priorities: "If throwing potentially cuts into that, that's not worth the squeeze." Ohtani was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts this season, but his bat has slumped lately — six hits in 40 at-bats after a two-homer game Aug. 17, with a .212 average since resuming his throwing program Aug. 14.
Commentary in the Los Angeles Times argued the Dodgers should stop the pitching experiment entirely, noting the club won the 2024 World Series with Ohtani hitting only and acquired Skubal to reduce the need for his arm. Roberts, however, said Ohtani still believes an opportunity exists and remains aware of his value to the club.