There might be more keeping Ohtani off the mound right now. Here's the latest

Shohei Ohtani crushed a leadoff home run Tuesday night, further proving his importance to the Dodgers even as uncertainty grows around his ability to pitch again this season.

But it goes without saying that the return of a fully healthy Ohtani -- one that can be his one-of-a-kind self at both the plate and on the mound -- would be a boon to Los Angeles’ chances of a World Series three-peat.

New details have clouded when and whether that may happen. Here’s the latest on Ohtani.

What is the injury (or injuries)?

Ohtani has been dealing with lingering left knee soreness. It forced him to miss his final start before the All-Star break, and it cropped up again after he threw a 30-pitch bullpen last week. That has led to the Dodgers shutting him down for the time being.

However, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Tuesday that Ohtani has also experienced an issue in his right biceps. Discomfort first appeared when Ohtani was removed from his start against the Padres on July 3. Roberts said compensation for his knee pain placed unintended stress on his upper half.

"Trying to mitigate that, we stopped the throwing, stopped the bullpens -- hopefully, No. 1, take care of the knee and then not have him try to create velocity with the arm that's not 100%," Roberts said.

When did he last pitch?

July 3 was Ohtani’s final MLB start before injury, when he went 6 innings against the Padres. He allowed three runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts and two walks.

He threw the aforementioned 30-pitch bullpen last Wednesday (July 22) and has not pitched off of a mound since.

When is he expected to pitch next?

There is currently no timeline for Ohtani’s return. Roberts said last week that the club will not push him forward until he feels 100%.

“I think the last ‘pen that he had, there was a little bit of regression,” Roberts said. “We want to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

However, the Dodgers have not ruled Ohtani out from pitching in the postseason.

"Everything that I've heard, that's not the option," Roberts said Tuesday. "I guess anything's possible, but for me, it's highly unlikely. ... If the knee continues to get better and the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch. I'm trying to give him the best opportunity to be as healthy as possible so he can help us on both ends of the baseball."

Will this impact his DH duties?

No. The Dodgers have held steady that neither of Ohtani’s ailments impact his swinging or running. And they’ll do all they can to ensure he stays in the lineup.

"If we look at him and his value for our ballclub, we need him in the lineup," Roberts said. "The swing, the running of the bases, the knee, the arm -- it doesn't compromise that. In talking to Shohei and the training staff, that's where we're at."

"The knee is getting better and the goal is to get to the 100% mark," Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton. "But I do have to focus on the hitting side, the position-player side of things. ... It is still July, so I think the conversation [about pitching] will be a little different if we're in August or September."

What else might be impacted by Ohtani’s pitching absence?

Even as the Padres start to play better ahead of the Trade Deadline, they still remain 11.5 games behind the Dodgers in the NL West division race. Los Angeles -- tied with the Brewers at 67-40 for MLB’s best record -- also holds a firm lead over the Braves for a first-round bye. Thus, Ohtani’s injuries should have little impact on the postseason picture.

The better question, perhaps, is just how concerned the Dodgers really are over Ohtani’s injuries. Roberts said he thinks Ohtani will pitch in October, but if things change in the next few days, might the club seek outside help?

And might that outside help come in the form of Tarik Skubal? Skubal is slated to start Wednesday for the Tigers, and it could be his final appearance in Detroit. His name continues to swirl in trade rumors, and the Dodgers could put together a package as good as anyone’s to land the back-to-back AL Cy Young winner.

Of course, the Dodgers could still add Tyler Glasnow (lower back spasms) and Blake Snell (loose bodies in left elbow) back to their rotation before the postseason, which would be quite a “Trade Deadline” on its own. But there’s no denying the impact Skubal would have.

There are also the individual accolades that Ohtani’s injuries will impact. With his dominance on the mound for most of this year (1.79 ERA), he seemed a shoo-in for his fourth consecutive MVP Award and fifth overall.

But a hitting-only Ohtani down the stretch may open the door for someone else to win the NL’s top honor. The Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (MLB-best 6.2 Baseball-Reference WAR) is the primary challenger.

Finally, any further effects these injuries may have on Ohtani are unknown. The 32-year-old said any long-term decisions or treatment plans will likely wait until the Dodgers’ postseason run has ended.