Shohei Ohtani was not in the Dodgers' starting lineup on Thursday, a day after he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts against the Cardinals in an 8-6 loss at Dodger Stadium.
Ohtani shook out his right arm and winced following his final strikeout on Wednesday, and for manager Dave Roberts, it was one of many signs that evening that his two-way superstar was feeling physically compromised at the plate.
“I think that tonight was kind of the tip of the iceberg," Roberts said following Wednesday's game. "But I've seen it over the last couple weeks, where he hasn't been who he is.”
Ohtani has been dealing with myriad physical issues, including left knee soreness that has been the primary reason that he has not pitched since July 3. He has dealt with a lingering right biceps issue that first affected him as a hitter, then as a pitcher. Roberts said Ohtani's "overall body" was "not 100%" when he threw an ill-fated bullpen session last Friday that rendered his timeline to return to pitching indefinite.
Since Ohtani restarted a throwing program on Aug. 8, he is hitting .204 (19-for-93) with a .704 OPS. He has struck out 32 times in that span.
Overall this season, Ohtani is slashing .279/.381/.525 with 30 home runs.
Tommy Edman was batting in Ohtani's usual leadoff spot on Thursday, with Alex Call handling designated-hitter duties.