Until now, the Los Angeles Dodgers have only enjoyed the benefits of having Shohei Ohtani on the team. Because of Ohtani’s two-way status, they were allowed to carry 14 pitchers on their active roster rather than the usual 13. But 2026 has been a tumultuous year for Ohtani as he has adjusted to his two-way role again following his second Tommy John surgery. He has dealt with injury setbacks throughout the season, and now, with the postseason around the corner, the Dodgers face a new challenge.

“MLB rules for two-way players going on the IL are making the Dodgers’ decision about Shohei Ohtani harder,” Nelson Espinal of Dodgers Nation wrote on X. “For a two-way player, the minimum IL stint is 15 days, rather than 10 days. If the Dodgers put him on the IL now, he would miss another 12 days and return on September 18th.”

According to the MLB rulebook, the minimum IL stint for position players is 10 days, while the minimum IL stint for pitchers is 15 days. Two-way players like Shohei Ohtani shoulder the responsibility of both. The Japanese acts as a DH for the Dodgers as well as a pitcher. So, whenever the Dodgers place Ohtani on the IL, they must put him there for at least 15 days.

The Dodgers have shut Ohtani down from pitching, at least temporarily. Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 due to a lingering knee injury and biceps discomfort. The Dodgers were slowly ramping him up to help him get back to pitching in the big leagues, but after a short bullpen session on August 28, they have not cleared him to throw again.

Though Ohtani has not been pitching, he has been a regular fixture in the lineup. The last time he missed a game was on July 30, but it changed after Wednesday.

On September 2, Ohtani felt discomfort in his biceps and neck against the St. Louis Cardinals. He went 0-for-4, as the Dodgers lost 8-6 to the Cardinals. He has not been back in the lineup ever since. The Dodgers scratched him for a third straight day on Saturday as his health issues linger. When the Dodgers skipper was initially asked whether the team was considering placing Ohtani on the IL, he said they were hoping he would not need an IL stint.

“Hopeful, but I wouldn’t say confident [that he won’t go on the IL],” Roberts reportedly said. “If three days [go by] and we’re back in the same spot two days later, then it wasn’t the right decision. … There are scenarios where we don’t make the move, and he’s still active, so I don’t know what that looks like. But there’s not just two ways to do this.”

MLB allows teams to backdate an IL placement by a maximum of three days from the date he last played. That is, if the Dodgers place Ohtani on the IL now, they can backdate it to September 2. Ohtani will be sidelined for 12 days before he can return on September 18. But every day the Dodgers avoid making a decision, it means a delay in Ohtani’s return if they eventually place him on the IL.

Though Ohtani has been out for three games now, the Dodgers are still debating his injured list placement. He is currently listed as day-to-day. Ahead of their 6-5 win over the Washington Nationals, the Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shared an update on Ohtani.

“He’s (Ohtani) gonna hit today in the cage,” Roberts told the reporters, per SportsNet LA. “Once he hits, and how he comes out of it will be telling for tomorrow. Obviously, leaving his availability open for today. Tomorrow is more of a conversation if I hear he comes out of it fine.”

Ohtani’s fate in the lineup depends on how he feels inside the batting cage. The priority for the Dodgers will be to keep their MVP healthy for the upcoming postseason. The Dodgers are aiming for a three-peat in the World Series, and they will need their hero on board.