Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is not expected to take the mound when the MLB All-Star Game kicks off July 14 in Philadelphia, thanks to a recent adjustment to his pitching schedule.
The four-time MVP has generally been taking the mound every Wednesday this season, but that routine was shifted this week. Ohtani instead started Friday’s contest against the San Diego Padres, giving him additional rest during a stretch of 13 consecutive games.
If he remains on his regular week of rest and makes his next start the following Friday, he would arrive at the All-Star break with only three days of rest — making his use as a pitcher highly unlikely.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who will be leading the National League squad at the All-Star Game, addressed the situation Friday. “I haven’t formally said it, but if you just kind of do the math, it would be hard to imagine,” he said. “But I don’t have to make that decision quite yet.”
Despite barely falling short of the innings threshold that would have made him fully ineligible, Ohtani, 31, ranked second in all of Major League Baseball in ERA heading into Friday at 1.58. Only Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski holds a better mark at 1.47, though Misiorowski is also unavailable to pitch at the All-Star Game since he is scheduled to start two days before it.
That opens the door for Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez, who carries a 10-3 record and a 2.00 ERA, to start the game in his home ballpark as the likely NL representative.
Even without a pitching role, Ohtani will still be a major presence at the All-Star Game. He led all players in the first round of fan voting and is slated to serve as the NL’s starting designated hitter. At the plate this season, he has posted a .291 batting average with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs across 80 games.
