Shohei Ohtani underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023, and fans were anything but relieved when he returned to full-time pitching this season. It didn’t take long for those concerns to resurface, though. Just over a month ago, Ohtani exited a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates because of knee discomfort. While the Los Angeles Dodgers initially believed the issue stemmed from his baserunning, Ohtani later clarified that his pitching mechanics were the primary cause. Those concerns became even more apparent on Saturday.

“The bullpen had to pay the consequences. For that, I’m sorry,” Ohtani was quoted by Dylan Hernandez in his New York Post article. 

According to the schedule, Shohei Ohtani was supposed not to pitch in the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. However, he was to undertake his regular DH duties as per the updates from the Dodgers.

“He will serve as the designated hitter the rest of the weekend, but following the series against the D-backs, he will have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season,” the team statement read.

But it didn’t go according to plan, as the Dodgers had to use seven pitchers in their series opener, each in a short stint, to complete the game after the Japanese phenom experienced knee inflammation again last Thursday. The impact, you may ask? The Dodgers lost the bullpen game 9-3.

The 32-year-old’s knee troubles began on June 11 when he developed inflammation after a stolen base against the Pittsburgh Pirates, which resulted in him exiting the game early. To top that, he has a congenital condition on his knee called bipartite patella, which means that his knee had two separate bones rather than a single fused one. He then underwent surgery in 2019.

Notably, while the Dodgers had to make the tough decision of scratching Ohtani from the rotation, the star had no trouble hitting another home run for the Dodgers. It was his third in the last four games. In fact, he even recorded his 300th home run against the Colorado Rockies recently. However, Ohtani’s fans aren’t just worried about the regular-season games.

“It’s more in the kneecap,” he had admitted earlier regarding the same discomfort.

And even though the Dodgers are in a comfortable position in the standings, losing arguably the best player in MLB is the last thing fans want to see, especially since Shohei Ohtani himself isn’t certain whether the procedure he underwent in 2019 was successful in the first place. And that is a cause for worry.

Seven years ago, he missed the final 15 games of that season and was given a 10-12 week recovery timeline. While surgery is not in question this time around, he is still not playing the same game that he used to.

Ohtani is hitting .290 with 21 home runs and 57 RBIs, while also compiling an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 85 2/3 innings on the mound. However, his recent outings as a pitcher haven’t been as dominant. Over his last four starts, which coincided with the onset of irritation in his left knee, he has surrendered 12 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings. By comparison, he had allowed just five earned runs through his first 10 starts of the season.

To make sure that their star player doesn’t go through a long rehab or struggle through a sub-.200 batting average, like in 2020, the Dodgers are putting him on treatment. 

Dodgers prioritize October over Midsummer

This means no Midsummer Classic for Ohtani. The player who got the most votes wouldn’t be participating in the exhibition game. 

“I think they voted for me because they wanted to see me play, and I feel bad that I can’t. I regret that I have to drop out after being voted in,” he said following the decision to skip the All-Star Game. 

Ohtani will receive a pain-relieving injection, and he will also have his knee drained. That’s the plan he has for the break. The franchise is being extra careful since neither they nor the superstar himself can shake off the connection between his current discomfort and his previous treatment. 

However, Roberts mentioned that skipping the All-Star “isn’t going to change anything” regarding his pitching plan for the team in the second half of the season. 

They think that scratching the All-Star plans was necessary for the superstar’s recovery. Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani’s apology to his fans shows how personally he took it. And that’s one of the biggest reasons the baseball community loves him.