Shohei Ohtani is expected to pitch again this season for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the team is taking a cautious approach to his return, prioritizing the healing of his left knee.
Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers' president of baseball operations, stated that Ohtani would be pitching currently if not for the knee irritation. The concern is that Ohtani might alter his pitching mechanics to compensate for the knee, potentially leading to further issues. He also downplayed Ohtani's reported right biceps soreness, attributing it to a natural fatigue common among pitchers in late July.
Ohtani is currently serving as the designated hitter and has indicated his knee does not affect his performance at the plate. The team is awaiting further improvement in his knee before he begins a throwing program, which will include flat-ground work and bullpen sessions.
Friedman expressed confidence in Ohtani's eventual return to pitching, citing positive progress and a clear MRI taken during the All-Star break. Ohtani also received a lubricant injection in his knee at that time. "I feel confident that relatively soon he’s going to start getting out and start ramping up for catch-play and bullpens and getting him back," Friedman said.
The team is not feeling pressured to make significant pitching acquisitions before the Aug. 3 trade deadline due to Ohtani's current absence from the mound. Friedman indicated the team is always open to additions but prefers not to be in a position where a move is a necessity in July, which he described as the most challenging time to acquire a player.
Ohtani, a four-time MVP, has not pitched since July 3. Before the All-Star break, his pitching performance showed some signs of being affected by the knee issue, which first flared up on June 11 and led to him overcompensating with his upper body, causing tightness in his right biceps. He has a record of 8-2 on the mound this season with a 1.79 earned run average and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings pitched.