Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts Wednesday night. The Dodgers lost 8โ6 in 10 innings to the Cardinals. Manager Dave Roberts did not dress it up.
โI saw the same thing that everyone saw,โ he said. โHeโs not close to optimal.โ
That is a $700 million player described like a mid-August flu. It is also the honest scouting report.
What is actually hurt
Two things, stacked:
- Left knee โ his landing leg as a pitcher. Soreness knocked him off a start before the All-Star break and again after a bullpen last week.
- Right biceps โ discomfort that showed up when he left a start against the Padres on July 3. Roberts has said the upper half is compensating for the knee.
He has not pitched in a game since July 3. A 20-pitch bullpen happened. A Detroit start after that did not. Asked if it is possible he does not pitch again this regular season, Roberts said itโs an option.
He is still hitting .279. Four straight strikeouts is a new look for 2026.
IL or a day off?
Roberts planned to talk with trainers and Ohtani about a day off. He said he does not think an injured-list stint is required. The calendar is the problem: Los Angeles has two scheduled off days left โ September 10 and September 21. The rest is September baseball.
The Dodgers are safely on top of the NL West and playing for a top-two seed and a Wild Card bye. Last yearโs World Series run did not need the bye. This yearโs October would like the extra rest โ especially for a DH who is not the DH you paid for on Wednesday.
What this means for you
If you are a Dodgers fan, the mound is a luxury. The bat is the product. If you bet futures, an Ohtani who is a part-time statue changes October math more than a fifth starter on the IL.
Roberts still talks like October pitching is possible if the knee and arm both get better. โHighly unlikelyโ that they shut the pitching down for good was the other version of the same quote this week. Both quotes can live in the same clubhouse. The swing on Wednesday cannot.
Bottom line: sit him if the swing stays broken. A bye is worth more than another 0-for-4 in September.
GLHR NEWS explains the news. Not investment, tax, or trading advice. Do your own work before you act.
