Dodgers weigh shutting Shohei Ohtani down as a pitcher after nagging knee, biceps problems

Ohtani hasn’t thrown in a game since July 3 because of persistent knee and right biceps issues, per reporting this week. He’s remained in the Dodgers’ lineup as the team’s everyday DH, but his offense has slipped; reporters noted an 0-for-4, four-strikeout night on Wednesday and a 2-for-32 stretch over six games.

Those two facts — long absence from the mound and an evident decline at the plate — are the immediate triggers for the Dodgers’ current deliberations. Rest could address swelling, soreness and fatigue that hamper throwing mechanics; but rest also risks eroding Ohtani’s timing and the team’s comfort with him in an everyday role.

Ohtani’s value to the Dodgers is overwhelmingly offensive now that he’s DH-ing every day. If his knee or biceps problems make him an unreliable starter, the incremental wins from a limited late-season pitching appearance may be small compared with the risk of aggravating an arm injury that could sideline him entirely.

On the flip side, the Dodgers would lose a high-ceiling postseason rotation option. Even a single elite Ohtani start in October could swing a short series. The calculus depends on medical certainty (which the team has not publicly provided) and the timeline for recovery — both unknowns right now.

The Dodgers have tools to manage the situation: rosters expanded recently and the team activated Dalton Rushing from the injured list to add a left-handed bench bat. That move increases bench flexibility but does not resolve the central question of whether the club will carry Ohtani as a hitting-only centerpiece while sacrificing his pitching usage.

Concrete decisions — an IL stint, a formal pitching shutdown, or a day-to-day rest plan — will determine how the Dodgers shape their rotation and bench heading into the postseason. Those are managerial and medical choices the team has signaled it is considering, but hasn’t yet committed to.