Ohtani expected to play as Dodgers open second half at Yankees
Fluid was drained from Shohei Ohtani's left knee, and the Dodgers expect him to DH at Yankee Stadium as they weigh his pitching workload.
Shohei Ohtani is expected to be in the Dodgers’ lineup as they open the second half Friday at Yankee Stadium, at least as a designated hitter, after fluid was drained from his left knee to relieve irritation. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani did not receive an injection and is taking a few days off before Los Angeles begins a three-game series against the Yankees.
The knee has been an issue for weeks. Ohtani left a June 11 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates early with left-knee inflammation, then missed Tuesday’s All-Star Game because of the same problem. He also was scratched from a scheduled July 10 pitching start, a sign that the Dodgers have been protecting the mound side of his game more aggressively than his bat.
That caution makes sense because Ohtani said the knee discomfort affects his pitching more than his hitting. He had surgery on that left knee in September 2019 to repair a bipartite patella, a congenital condition in which the kneecap does not fully fuse. The team used the All-Star break to try to get the knee in better shape for the second half, and Roberts said he believed Ohtani’s pitching after the break should not be affected.
Even with the irritation, Ohtani remained one of baseball’s most productive players. He entered the break hitting .293 with 22 home runs and 58 RBIs. On the mound, he was 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts in 85 2/3 innings over 14 starts, a two-way line that keeps every health update from feeling routine. The Dodgers are not just managing a hitter or a pitcher, but a player who shapes both ends of the roster when he is available.
The immediate priority is availability for New York, where Los Angeles will face the Yankees in a series loaded with attention beyond the standings. Ohtani is expected to serve as the designated hitter at minimum, but Roberts said it was not yet clear whether he would also pitch against the Yankees. That uncertainty leaves the Dodgers balancing a short-term lineup boost with the longer-term question of how much work Ohtani can shoulder as the season moves toward its stretch run.
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