Shohei Ohtani expected to pitch vs. Phillies

For the first time since the “hurriquake” of August 2023, the Dodgers will play a doubleheader on Sunday after their game against the Yankees on Saturday was postponed due to heavy rain.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start the first game of the doubleheader, while the Dodgers have yet to announce their starter for the latter game. The Dodgers have made it clear that Shohei Ohtani will not be pitching in the Bronx, as his next scheduled start lines up on Wednesday when the team is in Philadelphia, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. Whether he will resume his two-way duties on Wednesday is still up in the air.

Ohtani was expected to be in the lineup for all three games against the Yankees. He planned to play catch and throw off the mound in the coming days, and the team would monitor his response before finalizing pitching plans.

Taking the mound Wednesday would give Ohtani more recovery time heading into the team’s day off. When asked if Ohtani would shoulder two-way duties Wednesday, Roberts said, “We’ll see when we get there.”

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Ohtani was expected to be in the lineup for all three games against the Yankees. He planned to play catch and throw off the mound in the coming days, and the team would monitor his response before finalizing pitching plans.

Taking the mound Wednesday would give Ohtani more recovery time heading into the team’s day off. When asked if Ohtani would shoulder two-way duties Wednesday, Roberts said, “We’ll see when we get there.”

Ohtani has not pitched since July 3 against the San Diego Padres, and he enters the second half of the season with a record of 8-2 and a 1.79 ERA across 14 starts.

Kiké Hernández has appeared in just two games this season and has been out since May 27 after suffering an oblique strain. Hernández is currently undergoing a rehab assignment and could rejoin the team during their next homestand, reports Sonja Chen of MLB.com.

The fan-favorite utility player began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday night, beginning with a weekend series in Tacoma, Wash. Hernández is unlikely to return during the Dodgers’ three-city road trip visiting the Yankees, Phillies and Mets, but he could be activated from the 10-day injured list during L.A.’s next homestand beginning on July 28.

The fan-favorite utility player began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Oklahoma City on Friday night, beginning with a weekend series in Tacoma, Wash. Hernández is unlikely to return during the Dodgers’ three-city road trip visiting the Yankees, Phillies and Mets, but he could be activated from the 10-day injured list during L.A.’s next homestand beginning on July 28.

The Yankees aren’t a ballclub that has expectations of losing in the World Series. It’s apparent with their 27 championships.

That’s what makes their 2024 World Series loss to the Dodgers that much more painful, per Zach Braziller of the California Post.

“The disappointment of getting to the end and playing for it all and coming up short, that’s one of those things that leaves a scar,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees’ game against the Dodgers on Saturday was rained out and will be made up on Sunday as a split doubleheader. “You want to be in a position to be in a World Series and play for it all. We had that opportunity and came up short. So there’s pain and disappointment that comes with that, and it’s part of our baseball journey.”

“The disappointment of getting to the end and playing for it all and coming up short, that’s one of those things that leaves a scar,” manager Aaron Boone said before the Yankees’ game against the Dodgers on Saturday was rained out and will be made up on Sunday as a split doubleheader. “You want to be in a position to be in a World Series and play for it all. We had that opportunity and came up short. So there’s pain and disappointment that comes with that, and it’s part of our baseball journey.”