Ohtani Postpones July 25 Bullpen Session After Left Knee Setback

Q: Why are the Dodgers willing to wait on Ohtani’s arm while keeping his bat in the lineup every day?

The Dodgers are willing to wait because Ohtani’s knee is limiting his pitching more than his hitting, and the club sees far more risk in forcing the mound work now than in keeping his bat active. Dave Roberts has said Ohtani is not “100 percent” for throwing off a mound, and that his last bullpen produced some “regression.” Pitching appears to aggravate the knee because of the landing and mechanics in his delivery, while hitting and running have not, according to Ohtani and the training staff. That is why the team postponed the bullpen session but kept him in the lineup as designated hitter. There is also a competitive calculation. Ohtani remains one of the Dodgers’ best hitters, producing at an MVP level as a DH, so taking his bat out would cost them every day. At the same time, Los Angeles has enough rotation depth and enough cushion in the standings to absorb his absence on the mound for now, especially with Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow moving toward returns. Most important, the Dodgers are managing for October, not July. Roberts has been explicit that the goal is to have Ohtani fully healthy for the postseason, not to squeeze out regular-season innings at the cost of a bigger setback. Even when he returns, the Dodgers do not expect to push him to a full starter’s workload immediately, which underscores how carefully they are treating his arm and knee together.

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 25

Dave Roberts said Shohei Ohtani's planned Saturday bullpen at Citi Field was scrapped after his left knee showed "regression" following a July 22 session in Philadelphia.
The setback clouds his pitching timeline, with Roberts saying a return to the mound is unlikely next week and the Dodgers offering no timetable.
Left knee inflammation and irritation had already forced Ohtani out of a scheduled pre-All-Star-break start, and the club opted for a bullpen session instead of starting him Wednesday.
The Dodgers still expect Ohtani to keep hitting as designated hitter, but plan a cautious second half in which he would not immediately be stretched to 100 pitches.