Shohei Ohtani injury update: Dodgers taking cautious approach with star

Shohei Ohtani was back in the lineup for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, July 17.

He served as the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter to open the series on the road against the New York Yankees in a rematch of the 2024 World Series.

Ohtani was pulled from a scheduled start on the mound before the MLB All-Star break due to inflammation and irritation in his left knee. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters that Ohtani did have lubricant injected into his knee but did not have it drained. The injection is expected to provide Ohtani with relief in his knee.

He was the league’s leading vote-getter but withdrew from the MLB All-Star Game due to the discomfort in the knee, which impacted his pitching mechanics.

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Oct. 17, 2025: Shohei Ohtani hits a solo home run during Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium. Ohtani hit three home runs and pitched six scoreless innings in one of the greatest performances in MLB playoff history. The Dodgers won the game, 5-1, to advance to the World Series.

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March 20, 2024: Shohei Ohtani gets his first hit as a Dodger in the third inning during the 2024 Seoul Series game against the Padres.

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Roberts said the team will watch how Ohtani does this week before finalizing his next pitching start, tentatively on Wednesday, July 22. The Dodgers are also expected to be cautious with the superstar’s workload in the second half.

He won an ESPY earlier this week for the Best Single-Game Performance. The Dodgers star received the award for a performance against the Milwaukee Brewers, where Ohtani hit three home runs and pitched six scoreless innings, striking out 10 batters, in Game 4 of the 2025 National League Championship Series.

Ohtani and the Dodgers will play the Yankees on Saturday and Sunday before immediately starting a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies.