Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani has been ruled out of next week’s All-Star Game in Philadelphia, as persistent irritation in his left knee continues to sideline him from certain duties.
The Dodgers announced that Ohtani would also skip his scheduled pitching start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday evening, though he will remain in the lineup as a designated hitter throughout the weekend series.
The knee has been bothering Ohtani for at least a month. His outing against the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 11 was cut short due to inflammation in that same knee.
Once the team’s series against Arizona concludes on Sunday, Ohtani will undergo what the Dodgers described as “interventions” on the knee to prepare for the second half of the season — a process that will keep him away from the All-Star festivities at Citizens Bank Park.
The four-time MVP has once again established himself as one of baseball’s premier players this season, remaining the only true two-way player in the big leagues. He is currently batting .290 with 20 home runs and 56 RBIs, while posting an 8-2 record on the mound with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts across 85 2/3 innings.
His absence from the All-Star Game is a significant loss for baseball’s midsummer showcase. The Japanese star, who celebrated his 32nd birthday earlier this week, ranks among the sport’s most recognizable figures and led all of Major League Baseball in jersey sales last season.
Earlier this week, on Tuesday night, Ohtani launched his 300th career home run — a leadoff blast off Colorado’s Michael Lorenzen — becoming the first Japanese-born player in major league history to reach that milestone.
The Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions, owned baseball’s best record at 61-33 heading into Friday’s action.
