Shohei Ohtani out of Dodgers lineup for second straight game

Shohei Ohtani is out of the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup for a second consecutive game due to nagging physical concerns, the club announced Friday.

What happened

MLB.com reported that Ohtani will not start against the Washington Nationals on Friday, September 4, marking back-to-back absences from the lineup. The Dodgers have not announced a specific diagnosis or a timetable for his return.

The context around this absence has been accumulating. Earlier reporting noted that Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to a right knee issue, and that Thursday's absence was tied to neck and right biceps problems. Whether those same concerns are driving Friday's scratch, or whether the situation has shifted, has not been reported. What the Dodgers have offered publicly is the phrase "nagging physical concerns" — a formulation that, on the September calendar, tends to carry more weight than it might in April.

It is also worth noting that Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts in his most recent start before the two-game absence. The Dodgers have not connected that performance to the physical concerns, and the desk will not do so either.

Why it matters

Ohtani is the gravitational center of this Dodgers offense, and two consecutive lineup absences in the first week of September — with a division magic number of 12 and a postseason roster to finalize — is the kind of development that earns close attention regardless of how the club characterizes it.

The September roster expansion, which allows clubs to carry 28 active players through the end of the regular season, gives the Dodgers some flexibility to manage Ohtani's workload without leaving a visible hole in the lineup card. Flexibility, however, is not the same as a solution, and the Dodgers have not indicated how they plan to handle his availability going forward.

The two-way dimension adds another layer. Under general league rules, pitchers and two-way players are subject to the 15-day injured list rather than the 10-day IL available to position players — a distinction that matters if the club were to consider a formal IL placement. No such move has been reported, and the desk is not suggesting one is imminent. But the mechanical reality is worth understanding as the situation develops.

Where the club stands

Los Angeles is 84-57 (.596), first in the NL West, and riding a two-game winning streak. The magic number to clinch the division stands at 12.

The weekend series against Washington at UNIQLO Field at Dodger Stadium runs through Sunday. Blake Snell takes the mound Friday against Jackson Kent. Tyler Glasnow is the probable for Saturday against Cade Cavalli. Sunday's Dodgers starter is listed as TBD, with Andrew Alvarez going for Washington.

The Nationals are not a team that typically complicates a division leader's September math, but a home series is a home series, and the Dodgers will want to keep the magic number moving in the right direction — ideally with their best hitter available at some point before the weekend is over.

Is Ohtani expected back this weekend?

No timetable has been reported. The club's characterization of "nagging physical concerns" does not include a return date, and no Dodgers official has been quoted on the subject in the material available to the desk. The situation remains fluid and unresolved as of Friday.

What we don't know yet

The specific nature of the concerns keeping Ohtani out of Friday's lineup has not been reported for this game. Earlier reporting tied Thursday's absence to neck and right biceps problems, alongside the right knee issue that has kept him off the mound since July 3 — but whether those are the same concerns driving Friday's decision, or whether something new has entered the picture, has not been addressed publicly.

There is also no reporting on whether the Dodgers are considering an IL placement, a more extended rest period, or any other roster action related to Ohtani's status. The desk will not speculate on any of those possibilities.

Separately, the Dodgers made a roster move earlier this week when they outrighted catcher Ben Rortvedt to Triple-A Oklahoma City after designating him for assignment. That transaction is unrelated to Ohtani's situation, but it is a reminder that the club has been active in managing its roster construction as September unfolds.

Manager Dave Roberts was also reported this week to have considered a left-field platoon for Teoscar Hernández before opting to keep him in the lineup full-time following recent signs of improvement. The Dodgers are clearly making deliberate decisions about how to deploy their position players — which makes Ohtani's absence from the lineup card all the more notable, given that he is not typically a player who needs to be managed around.

What to watch

The most immediate question is whether Ohtani appears in the lineup at any point during the Washington series. If he remains out through the weekend, the nature and duration of these "nagging physical concerns" will become harder to characterize as routine maintenance.

The magic number of 12 means the Dodgers have room to breathe in the standings, but September health management has a way of becoming October health management, and the club will want clarity on Ohtani's status well before the postseason picture comes into focus. Watch for any update from Roberts ahead of Saturday's game, and for whether the club moves toward a more formal roster designation — neither of which has been reported as of Friday.