Shohei Ohtani's return to pitching has been postponed after experiencing a regression in his left knee, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced Saturday. Ohtani did not throw his scheduled bullpen session due to the setback, which occurred following a bullpen outing earlier in the week.
"Just doesn't feel 100%, because I think that the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression," Roberts explained. "So we want to make sure that that doesn't happen again."
Ohtani had thrown off a mound for the first time in two weeks on Wednesday in Philadelphia. This session was also his first since receiving a lubricant injection in his knee during the All-Star break. While the initial report indicated the session went well, Roberts had cautioned that Ohtani needed to feel good in the subsequent days to proceed with further throwing.
Roberts described Saturday's news as a "backward" step that was "not ideal" for Ohtani's recovery as a pitcher. Despite this development, Roberts reiterated his expectation that Ohtani will pitch again this season, maintaining a target of sometime in August, though a more specific date was not provided.
Ohtani has not made a pitching start since July 3. He has been managing his knee injury, which has not affected his performance as a hitter, since mid-June.