Shohei Ohtani Out Thursday With Ongoing Knee, Biceps Issues 0mLink copied!

Sep 3, 2026, 7:23 PM ET

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani (knee, biceps) is not in the team's starting lineup for Thursday's game against the visiting St. Louis Cardinals due to ongoing left-knee and right-biceps injuries, per MLB.com. Outfielder Alex Call will serve as the designated hitter and bat eighth against Cardinals left-hander Quinn Mathews. Manager Dave Roberts said it is unlikely that the Dodgers will completely shut Ohtani down and place him on the injured list, but clearly he is not himself at the plate after going hitless in six plate appearances with four strikeouts in Wednesday's loss to St. Louis. In fact, Ohtani hit .241/.322/.472 with a .795 OPS (his lowest of the season) with six homers, three doubles, two triples, 13 RBI, 16 runs, and four steals in 27 games in the month of August, and he has just one hit in 10 plate appearances in two games in September. Ohtani is clearly not himself right now, and he has not made a start as a pitcher since July 3. The Dodgers are holding out hope that the Japanese superstar will pitch again for the team this year, but with only several weeks left in the regular season, he is unlikely to help when it matters most in fantasy. If Ohtani cannot shake his knee and biceps injuries, the Dodgers may be forced to put him on the IL. After all, their primary goal is to have him 100% for the postseason run as the Dodgers look for an unprecedented third straight World Series title.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com