Shohei Ohtani is now unlikely to pitch in this year's All-Star Game due to adjustments made to the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching rotation. Manager Dave Roberts indicated that a shift in Ohtani's scheduled starts makes his participation on the mound improbable, even if he is selected to the National League pitching staff.
Ohtani's originally scheduled outing for Wednesday against the Athletics has been moved to Friday night against the Padres. This change pushes his subsequent pitching appearance to the following Friday against the Diamondbacks. Consequently, he will be off schedule to be available for the All-Star Game, which is slated for the Tuesday after his start against the Diamondbacks.
Roberts, who is also managing the National League team this year, stated that it would be "hard to imagine" Ohtani pitching in the game given the logistical challenges. "But I don’t have to make a decision quite yet," he added.
Even before the rotation changes, Ohtani faced an uphill battle to pitch in the All-Star Game, which would have marked only his second career pitching appearance in the event. To participate as a pitcher, Roberts noted earlier this week that Ohtani would likely have needed to start the game. This would have presented difficulties in warming up in the bullpen while also taking at-bats as the designated hitter, a role for which Ohtani has already clinched the National League's starting spot via fan voting.
With the Dodgers opting to give Ohtani a couple of extra days of rest as a pitcher this week, his involvement in the All-Star Game is expected to be limited to designated hitter duties only. Ohtani's first-half pitching performance includes a 1.58 earned run average, which trailed only Jacob Misiorowski among pitchers with at least 70 innings pitched entering Friday.