Shohei Ohtani’s Potential Sunday Return in Doubt After Latest Injury Update
Shohei Ohtani appeared to be closing in on a return to the Los Angeles Dodgers rotation.
Now, the Dodgers are reconsidering whether Sunday is worth the risk.
Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Ohtani is “not 100%” physically, with his troublesome left knee and right biceps both part of the equation as Los Angeles determines whether to let him pitch against the Detroit Tigers in Sunday’s series finale.
That represents a meaningful change from the optimism surrounding Ohtani earlier in the week.
The Dodgers had been considering using Ohtani for approximately one inning Sunday before turning the game over to Tyler Glasnow for the bulk of the work. After Ohtani completed a shorter-than-usual bullpen session Friday, however, the club is now weighing whether one inning of buildup is valuable enough to justify sending him to the mound while he is still less than fully healthy.
One point needs to be especially clear:
Ohtani has not been diagnosed with a new injury.
His left knee trouble has kept him off the mound since early July, and Ohtani publicly disclosed at the end of July that his right biceps was also not completely healthy. The latest development is that those previously known issues continue to affect his pitching progression.
Friday’s Short Bullpen Raised New Questions
Ohtani threw approximately 20 pitches during Friday’s bullpen session at Comerica Park.
That was noticeably shorter than his typical between-start bullpen work, which is generally closer to 30 pitches. MLB reported that it was Ohtani’s decision to stop after roughly 20.
Roberts did not personally watch the session and initially said Friday that he needed to speak with Ohtani and pitching coach Mark Prior before determining what the abbreviated workload meant.
By Saturday, there was more clarity.
The Dodgers were no longer simply waiting to see how Ohtani recovered from the session. Roberts acknowledged that Ohtani’s overall physical condition remained below 100%, specifically mentioning the knee and biceps.
That has changed the calculation surrounding Sunday.
Earlier in the week, the question was essentially whether Ohtani’s progression had advanced enough for him to face Major League hitters.
Now the question is whether putting him on the mound for only one inning accomplishes enough to make pitching through lingering physical limitations worthwhile.
Roberts summarized the dilemma by questioning whether it makes sense to give Ohtani one inning of buildup when his body is not completely right.
Sunday Had Been Trending Toward Ohtani’s Return
The uncertainty is notable because Ohtani had taken several encouraging steps recently.
Last weekend, he faced live hitters for the first time during his latest throwing progression, working against Dodgers catcher Will Smith.
That session moved him closer to game action, and the Dodgers began openly discussing Sunday in Detroit as a possible return date.
The plan was never for Ohtani to immediately return as a full-length starter.
Instead, Los Angeles envisioned using him for roughly one inning and gradually increasing his workload over subsequent outings.
The broader goal remains getting Ohtani built up enough to potentially provide meaningful innings during the postseason.
Friday’s bullpen was supposed to represent another step toward that goal.
Instead, it created enough uncertainty for the Dodgers to reconsider the immediate timetable.
Tyler Glasnow Still Scheduled to Pitch Sunday
Whatever happens with Ohtani, the Dodgers already have Sunday’s innings covered.
Tyler Glasnow remains scheduled to pitch against Detroit.
If Ohtani is cleared to return, he could work the opening inning before Glasnow enters as the bulk pitcher.
If the Dodgers decide Ohtani should wait, Glasnow can simply make the start himself.
Glasnow returned from the 60-day injured list Tuesday in Atlanta and threw five innings and 89 pitches. Despite allowing three runs during a difficult first inning, he settled down and did not surrender another run.
Roberts said Glasnow felt good enough afterward to take his normal turn Sunday.
That gives the Dodgers an important luxury with Ohtani.
They do not need him Sunday because they are short a starting pitcher.
The proposed appearance was about advancing Ohtani’s postseason buildup.
If his body is not ready for that step, Los Angeles can afford to wait.
The Knee and Biceps Issues Are Not New
The terminology surrounding this update matters.
Ohtani is not suddenly dealing with two injuries the Dodgers discovered Friday.
His left knee has been an issue for months.
The knee first became troublesome in June, and Los Angeles eventually removed Ohtani from the rotation after his July 3 start. The Dodgers later announced that continued irritation in the knee would prevent him from making his final scheduled start before the All-Star break.
Ohtani has continued serving as the Dodgers’ designated hitter through most of the pitching shutdown.
His right biceps has also previously been part of the conversation.
In late July, Ohtani told reporters that the biceps was not 100%. At the time, he compared it to the knee situation when discussing whether it made sense to push his pitching progression before his body was ready.
Roberts mentioning both areas again Saturday therefore should not be interpreted as news that Ohtani suffered fresh injuries.
It is evidence that the existing physical concerns have not completely disappeared.
Dodgers Have More to Lose by Rushing Ohtani
There is also a larger issue beyond Sunday.
Ohtani has remained an everyday offensive presence even while unable to pitch.
That means Los Angeles has to evaluate every pitching decision through two lenses.
The Dodgers want Ohtani back on the mound.
They also cannot allow an aggressive pitching buildup to compromise the hitter they will depend on throughout September and October.
That becomes especially relevant when the proposed benefit is one inning in late August.
Ohtani already demonstrated what he can provide as a pitcher earlier this season. Before his pitching shutdown, he was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85⅔ innings across 14 starts.
The Dodgers do not need proof that a healthy Ohtani can help their rotation.
They need to get him healthy enough to do it when the innings carry greater consequences.
That is why Sunday is increasingly becoming a risk-versus-reward decision rather than simply another box to check.
October Remains the Real Goal
The Dodgers have consistently maintained that the most important objective is having Ohtani available to pitch in October.
That does not mean Sunday is meaningless.
Every missed opportunity to increase his workload leaves fewer regular-season games available to build him toward longer starts.
But pushing through lingering discomfort and creating another setback would cost significantly more time.
Los Angeles has already experienced that once during this progression.
Ohtani’s throwing program was slowed earlier this summer after renewed knee soreness following bullpen work. The Dodgers subsequently backed off rather than continuing to push him.
The same cautious approach appears to be guiding the current discussion.
Roberts and the Dodgers have enough information to know Ohtani is not completely healthy.
Now they have to determine whether Sunday advances the larger plan or simply introduces unnecessary risk.
Dodgers Face a Different Question Than They Did Earlier This Week
A few days ago, the storyline surrounding Ohtani was about how close he was to pitching.
He had faced hitters.
He had another bullpen scheduled.
Sunday in Detroit had emerged as a realistic return date.
The Dodgers could begin a gradual buildup that might eventually get him toward a more traditional starting workload before October.
That possibility has not disappeared.
But it is no longer the expectation it seemed to be earlier in the week.
Friday’s abbreviated bullpen and Roberts’ Saturday update have introduced real uncertainty.
The Dodgers will make their decision knowing Glasnow is available to handle Sunday regardless.
That gives them little reason to force Ohtani onto the mound simply to preserve a previously discussed timetable.
There has been no new Ohtani injury announced.
There has been no declaration that his pitching season is over.
And there has been no official ruling yet that he cannot pitch Sunday.
But the situation has clearly changed.
Shohei Ohtani’s Sunday return has gone from an increasingly realistic possibility to a decision the Dodgers are openly questioning — because with October approaching, one inning of buildup may not be worth asking a less-than-100% Ohtani to take the risk.