Andrew Friedman Says Surgery Is Not On The Table For Shohei Ohtani

The uncertainty surrounding Shohei Ohtani’s offseason recovery has received an encouraging clarification.

Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that surgery is “not on the table” for Ohtani following evaluations of the left-knee and right-arm problems that affected him throughout the second half of the season.

Friedman also said he fully expects Ohtani to return to the mound in 2027.

That does not mean Ohtani has already completely recovered, nor does it guarantee that he will be ready to pitch by Opening Day. It does, however, give the Dodgers a much clearer offseason outlook than they had immediately following their postseason elimination.

Friedman Describes Ohtani’s Injuries As A Game Of “Whack-A-Mole”

Ohtani dealt with multiple physical problems that never appeared to resolve at the same time.

His left knee began bothering him in June and required treatment during the All-Star break. As the knee improved, discomfort in his right biceps became a greater concern.

Friedman described the situation as an unfortunate game of “whack-a-mole,” with one issue improving before another required attention.

Some symptoms would calm down temporarily before becoming irritated again, creating a complicated recovery process for a player attempting to contribute as both a hitter and pitcher.

Ohtani made his final pitching appearance July 3 and later spent time on the injured list with right-biceps inflammation. He eventually returned as a hitter but did not pitch during the postseason.

The Update Resolves One Major Offseason Question

Ohtani said after the Dodgers’ elimination that it was still difficult to determine whether his knee or biceps would require an offseason procedure.

That possibility created uncertainty surrounding his recovery timetable and ability to resume his two-way responsibilities in 2027.

Friedman’s update indicates the medical evaluations did not produce a recommendation for surgery.

The Dodgers can instead build Ohtani’s offseason around rest, treatment, rehabilitation and a gradual return to baseball activity. The specific details of that program have not been announced.

Surgery being off the table should not be confused with Ohtani already being fully healthy. The injuries affected him for several months, and Los Angeles will still need to monitor how his body responds as he resumes throwing and hitting.

Dodgers Expect Ohtani To Pitch In 2027

Ohtani had already made his intentions clear.

Asked after Game 4 of the NLCS whether he planned to pitch again in 2027, Ohtani answered, “Yes, definitely.”

Friedman has now expressed the same expectation from the organization’s perspective.

Ohtani finished the season with a 1.79 ERA across 85⅔ innings, limiting opposing hitters to a .179 batting average. He was dominant for much of the year before his physical problems began interfering with his performance and availability.

His final four starts looked considerably different from the first portion of his season. Ohtani allowed only five earned runs across his first 61 innings before surrendering 12 over his final 24⅔.

That decline coincided with the knee discomfort that ultimately contributed to the Dodgers shutting down his pitching program.

The expectation is that Ohtani will return to the rotation in 2027, but Friedman did not guarantee an Opening Day start or provide a timetable for his first appearance.

The Two-Way Workload Remains The Bigger Question

Avoiding surgery addresses the most immediate concern.

It does not resolve how the Dodgers should manage Ohtani next season.

Ohtani accumulated more plate appearances than any other Major League hitter in 2026 while also making 14 starts on the mound. Even after he stopped pitching, the Dodgers continued using him regularly as their designated hitter.

That workload becomes especially important when considering how his injuries interacted. Ohtani’s knee problem affected his lower half, and the resulting physical compensation may have placed additional stress on his upper body.

The Dodgers now must determine how aggressively they want to use him as a two-way player.

Should he receive more scheduled days away from the lineup?

Would additional time between pitching appearances help keep him healthy?

Should the Dodgers be more willing to interrupt one side of his preparation when discomfort appears on the other?

Those decisions have not been made publicly.

Ohtani’s ability to provide elite production on both sides of the ball remains uniquely valuable. The challenge is finding a workload that allows him to maintain that production through September and October.

An Encouraging Update Without A Guarantee

Friedman’s announcement represents genuine progress.

Only days ago, the Dodgers did not know publicly whether Ohtani’s offseason would include surgery. They now expect him to recover without a procedure and return to pitching next season.

There are still unanswered questions surrounding his rehabilitation, throwing progression and 2027 workload. The Dodgers also have not established when he will be ready to pitch in a game.

But the most disruptive offseason possibility appears to have been removed.

Surgery is not currently part of Ohtani’s recovery plan. The Dodgers’ next challenge is making sure their two-way plan gives him the best opportunity to remain healthy when the games matter most.