Shohei Ohtani out of Dodgers’ starting lineup for third straight day
In Los Angeles, United States, Japanese baseball player Shohei Ohtani was left out of the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting lineup for a game against the Washington Nationals for the third consecutive day. The player is experiencing discomfort in his left knee and right biceps, Korea Herald reports.
Possible appearance as a substitute
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts reported an improvement in Ohtani’s condition. Before the game, the baseball player was expected to work with a bat in indoor batting cages, although he did not take swings on Thursday and Friday.
Roberts did not rule out that Ohtani could appear in the game as a pinch hitter. This is Ohtani’s first absence from the starting lineup for three consecutive games since he joined the club in the 2024 season on a 10-year, $700 million contract.
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Possible injured list placement
The Dodgers are also considering placing Ohtani on the injured list. If this happens before Sunday, the decision may be applied retroactively for up to three days — starting from Thursday, when he missed a game against St. Louis.
Since his last appearance on the field as a pitcher on July 2, Ohtani has played only as a designated hitter. However, he has dual player status as both a hitter and a pitcher, so his stay on the injured list would last at least 15 days.
Over the previous 13 games, Ohtani went 7-for-51 at bat, hit one home run and posted a .137 batting average. This season, he has played 129 games with a .279 average, 30 home runs and 80 RBIs. As a pitcher, Ohtani has an 8–2 win-loss record and a 1.79 ERA in 14 starts and 85⅔ innings.
