Shohei Ohtani "Unlikely" to Pitch Again This Year 2mLink copied!

Sep 8, 2026, 11:07 AM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) said it is "disappointing" that he likely will not pitch again this year, but he is focused on hitting the rest of the way, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. "The thing I was more focused on was to make sure that the pitching wouldn't cause the worst-case scenario, which was for me to not be able to play at all," Ohtani said. "I should have enough experience to address any kinks or injuries with the swing. I'm confident my overall performance should be better moving forward." After a four-game absence as the designated hitter due to recurring left-knee and right-biceps injuries, Ohtani returned in the series opener on Monday against the Cincinnati Reds and went 0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts. It seems unlikely that the 32-year-old four-time MVP will land on the injured list in the final month of the regular season, but the Dodgers could choose to rest him more frequently so that he is closer to 100% for the playoffs. Ohtani is hitting .277 (139-for-502) this year with 30 homers, 80 RBI, 89 runs scored, and 11 steals, but it is clear that playing through his knee and biceps injuries has slowed him down offensively of late. He hit .241 (26-for-108) with a .795 OPS in August, and he is 1-for-9 with six strikeouts so far in three games in September.--Keith Hernandez
Source: The Athletic - Katie Woo