The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani on the injured list, a move manager Dave Roberts announced Wednesday, as the player's left knee and right arm ailments continue to affect his performance.

Ohtani has missed six of the Dodgers' last seven games. The team had attempted to avoid placing him on the injured list, but a recent decline in his hitting performance and visible signs of discomfort prompted the decision. "It's the right thing to do," Roberts stated. "We tried to kick the can as much as we could."

His knee issue first emerged in early June, but he continued to play in his full two-way capacity for several weeks. By July 3, he was removed from a game as a hitter due to both knee pain and discomfort in his right biceps. Ohtani has not pitched since that date, with repeated setbacks in his throwing progression effectively ending his chances of returning to the mound this year.

Despite these issues, Ohtani had continued as the Dodgers' everyday designated hitter. However, his performance at the plate has recently faltered. From August 17 to September 2, Ohtani batted .130 (6-for-46) with no home runs, 19 strikeouts, and a .494 OPS. This stretch marked the worst 12-game span in his MLB career. On September 3, he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts, a season first, and was observed grimacing and shaking his right arm after swings.

This led to him being held out of the lineup for four consecutive games. He returned on Monday for an 0-for-3 performance with a walk, but experienced renewed discomfort in his right arm during the game, according to Roberts. Ohtani reportedly did not alert the training staff until Tuesday, which led to him sitting out Wednesday's game, despite Roberts' initial expectation that he would play.

The Dodgers can backdate the injured list stint to Tuesday, meaning Ohtani will not be eligible to return until September 23. This leaves him with minimal time in the regular season's final five games to regain his form.

The move also prompted the Dodgers to call up top prospect Josue De Paula.