Shohei Ohtani is out. Not only is he missing his scheduled start tonight, but he's also officially bailing on the All-Star Game. Yeah, it's a gut punch, and it's all thanks to a pesky knee injury that's putting a temporary stop to one of the most ridiculous seasons we've seen in recent memory.
The Pitching Pain That Changes Everything
Look, when you've got a guy throwing with a 1.79 ERA over 14 starts, an 8-2 record, 2.7 bWAR, and 95 strikeouts across 85.2 innings pitched, you expect him to be on the mound every single time. But Ohtani's left knee has other plans, experiencing "continued irritation." This means no Friday start against the Arizona Diamondbacks, forcing the Dodgers to scramble for a bullpen game instead of his 15th trip to the mound this season. Good news, though, he's not hitting the injured list. The Dodgers' announcement made it clear: "Los Angeles Dodger Shohei Ohtani will not make his scheduled start on the mound this evening against the Arizona Diamondbacks due to continued irritation in his left knee. He will serve as the designated hitter the rest of the weekend, but following the series against the Diamondbacks, he will have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season." So, he'll still be mashing at the plate, but the pitching arm is on pause, at least for now.
All-Star Dreams Dashed and Schwarber Steps Up
This knee issue isn't just messing with his regular season starts; it's blowing up his All-Star Game plans too. Ohtani won't be traveling to Philadelphia, which is a major bummer for fans and for him. He had a legitimate shot at being the NL's starting pitcher, and that's completely off the table now. Even his spot as the starting designated hitter for the NL All-Star team is gone, with Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber likely to get that honor instead. It's a tough break, especially when you look at what he's done at the plate this year: a 2.9 bWAR, a .290 average, a ridiculous .939 OPS, 20 homers, and 56 RBIs, all adding up to a 158 OPS+. He's still going to be in the lineup as the DH leading up to the All-Star break, which is a relief, but not seeing him on the mound in the All-Star Game is a massive missed opportunity for everyone who loves baseball.
So, Ohtani will be swinging the bat for a bit longer before his knee "interventions" kick in. The biggest question mark now is how long it'll be until we see that dominant pitching return for the second half of 2026. The Dodgers still have Freddie Freeman, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Max Muncy, and Andy Pages representing them in the All-Star Game, so they're not completely out of the star power game. But man, Ohtani's pitching absence is going to sting.
This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.