Shohei Ohtani, the two-way sensation for the Los Angeles Dodgers, will not take the field Saturday night when his team faces the San Diego Padres. The reason: tightness in his right biceps.
The Dodgers, who hold the best record in Major League Baseball and a commanding 14-game lead in the National League West, are in a position to allow their designated hitter and pitcher some time to rest and heal.
Ohtani exited Friday’s 4-3 Los Angeles victory in the seventh inning after noticing the biceps tighten up following a swing he took in the previous inning.
Speaking with reporters after the game, Ohtani noted that he had dealt with a similar problem earlier this season and recovered from it “relatively quickly.”
Manager Dave Roberts echoed that optimism, saying, “He’s dealt with it before. He’s a quick healer and finds a way to get back. But I do think that for us to read and react and hear what his body is telling him is really important, given the toll it takes on his body to be a two-way player.”
Friday’s appearance against the Padres had Ohtani on the mound as the starting pitcher, working on nine days of rest. He threw a season-high 110 pitches, surrendering three runs on seven hits and two walks across six innings while striking out nine batters. At the plate, he went 0-for-3.
On the season, Ohtani is hitting .288 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs. On the pitching side, he carries an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA, having tossed 85 and two-thirds innings over 14 starts.
