LOS ANGELES -- Shohei Ohtani was out of Tuesday night's Dodgers lineup against the Reds, one night after he returned to action following four days off to manage lingering injuries to his left knee and right biceps.
Ohtani went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a walk on Monday, continuing his offensive struggles of late. Manager Dave Roberts said there was nothing that seemed physically alarming from Ohtani's performance, which was a positive sign for the Dodgers.
"He feels good coming out of tonight, so that’s a win," Roberts said Monday. "I just think tonight was one of those timing things, obviously not playing for four days."
Ohtani has dealt with health issues since June, including left knee soreness that has been the primary reason that he has not pitched since July 3. A right biceps issue first affected him as a hitter, then went on to affect his pitching ramp-up.
The deterioration of his health and performance seemed to coincide with his buildup as a pitcher, and Ohtani has since been shut down from throwing. Since Aug. 8, Ohtani is hitting .198 (19-for-96) with a .690 OPS and 34 strikeouts. Overall this season, he has a .902 OPS with 30 homers.