Shohei Ohtani will not pitch Sunday after knee discomfort in bullpen session

Shohei Ohtani will not pitch Sunday against the Tigers after experiencing knee discomfort following a bullpen session Friday, and the Dodgers are now determining whether he will pitch again this season, Alden González of ESPN reported Saturday. The club had planned to start Ohtani on Sunday but scrapped those plans after the session, which included 20 pitches — 10 to 15 fewer than his usual routine between starts, per González.

Manager Dave Roberts said Saturday that Ohtani is not at full health, describing his "overall body" as sore. Roberts told reporters that the club would not send a pitcher to the mound in Ohtani's current condition, per the report. He added that Ohtani's offensive value is "hugely important, and so we can't compromise that in any fashion. If throwing potentially cuts into that, that's not worth the squeeze."

Ohtani had not pitched since July 3 due to knee and biceps issues, per the report. Had he started Sunday, he would have pitched only one inning, González reported.

What happened

Ohtani threw 20 pitches in a bullpen session Friday, a lighter workload than the routine he typically follows between starts, per ESPN. He came out of the session feeling discomfort in his knee, and the Dodgers decided Saturday to pull him from Sunday's scheduled start against Detroit.

Roberts said Ohtani is dealing with soreness throughout his body, not just the knee, and that the club would not send him to the mound in his current condition. The decision removes Ohtani from both Sunday's game and Tuesday's contest against the Cardinals, as the Dodgers weigh whether to shut down his pitching for the remainder of the season.

Why it matters

The Dodgers have been without Ohtani on the mound for nearly two months, and the latest setback complicates any plan to reintegrate him into the rotation down the stretch. Roberts framed the decision as a trade-off: Ohtani's bat has been central to the club's offense, and the risk of compromising that production by pushing him to pitch outweighs the benefit of adding him to the staff for a limited workload.

The club had structured Sunday's outing as a one-inning appearance, a sign that even before the bullpen session the Dodgers were managing his return cautiously. The discomfort after just 20 pitches suggests the knee remains a limiting factor, and the broader soreness Roberts described raises the question of whether Ohtani can build up to a meaningful pitching role before the postseason.

Tyler Glasnow is listed as the probable starter for Sunday's game against Detroit. Glasnow recently returned to the rotation, and his availability gives the Dodgers a fallback option as they navigate Ohtani's uncertain timeline.

Where the club stands

The Dodgers entered Saturday with an 85-57 record, first in the NL West and holding a division magic number of 10. They have won three straight games and lead the division by a comfortable margin, which affords them some flexibility in managing Ohtani's workload without jeopardizing their playoff positioning.

The club is scheduled to face the Tigers on Saturday and Sunday at Comerica Park, with Blake Snell listed as Saturday's probable starter opposite Keider Montero and Glasnow slated for Sunday against Framber Valdez. The Dodgers return home Tuesday to open a series against the Cardinals, with Eric Lauer listed as the probable starter against Michael McGreevy.

The schedule offers the Dodgers a window to clarify Ohtani's status before the roster expands to 28 players on September 1, though the decision on his pitching availability appears to hinge on medical factors rather than roster mechanics. The active roster limit increases from 26 to 28 players beginning September 1, giving clubs additional flexibility to carry extra pitchers or position players through the end of the regular season. The Dodgers could use that expanded capacity to add arms if they determine Ohtani will not pitch again in 2026, though no such move has been reported.

What we don't know yet

The Dodgers have not announced a timeline for Ohtani's return to the mound or whether they will attempt another buildup before the end of the regular season. Roberts' comments suggest the club is weighing whether to shut down his pitching entirely, but no final determination has been reported.

The nature of the knee discomfort has not been detailed beyond Roberts' description of overall soreness. The biceps issue that contributed to Ohtani's absence since early July has not been mentioned in connection with Friday's bullpen session, leaving it unclear whether that concern has been resolved or remains part of the calculus.

The report does not specify what Ohtani's pitching workload would look like if the Dodgers do decide to bring him back before the postseason, or whether the club would consider using him in a relief role rather than as a starter.

What to watch

The Dodgers' next steps will clarify whether Ohtani pitches again in 2026 or whether the club prioritizes his availability as a hitter through the postseason. Roberts' emphasis on protecting Ohtani's offensive production suggests the decision will tilt toward caution if the knee continues to present issues.

Glasnow's performance Sunday will also bear watching, as the Dodgers' rotation depth has been tested throughout the season and any additional strain on the staff could influence how aggressively the club pursues Ohtani's return to pitching.

The roster expansion Tuesday gives the Dodgers additional flexibility to add arms, though no specific reinforcements have been reported. The division magic number of 10 means the Dodgers could clinch the NL West within the next two weeks, which would allow them to manage Ohtani's workload with an eye toward October rather than the final weeks of the regular season. A clinch would remove any urgency to deploy Ohtani as a pitcher before the postseason, giving the club the option to rest him entirely or limit him to hitting duties as they prepare for the playoffs.

The club's decision on Ohtani will likely come into sharper focus over the next week, as the Dodgers balance the short-term benefit of adding him to the rotation against the longer-term priority of keeping him healthy and productive at the plate. The knee discomfort after a modest bullpen session suggests the issue is not yet resolved, and the Dodgers' comfortable lead in the division gives them the luxury of patience.