There was certainly relief when Shohei Ohtani finally returned to full-time pitching this season after undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in 2023. However, that relief didn’t last long. At 32, he has encountered several minor setbacks, including a hitting slump, left knee inflammation, and arm tightness, as he works his way back to being a full-time two-way player. Now, his knee inflammation has flared up again, and the Los Angeles Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts have decided how to proceed with the Japanese phenom.

Nearly six hours before his scheduled start on Friday, the Dodgers announced that Ohtani will not be pitching against the Arizona Diamondbacks. To top that, he won’t be able to join his NL All-Star team in Philadelphia next week. So, what’s the culprit behind all this? A lingering irritation in his left knee. Naturally, it has raised questions about what this knee discomfort means for Ohtani and the Dodgers’ October hopes. The Dodgers’ manager cleared those doubts.

“It’s not going to change anything for the second half as far as pitching,” Dave Roberts said, per Dodger Blue. “I’m not sure where he is going to be slotted in after the break. So that’s something that we’re going to talk through. We have plenty of time to talk through.”

Ohtani’s knee troubles began on June 11, when he developed inflammation after attempting a stolen base against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He exited the game early. The 32-year-old has a congenital condition on his knee called bipartite patella, for which he underwent surgery in 2019. But clearly, the issue has not been fully resolved.

Though the two-way star will not be pitching in the Diamondbacks series, he will be undertaking his regular DH duties. In a statement, the Los Angeles Dodgers revealed:

“He will serve as the designated hitter the rest of the weekend, but following the series against the D-backs, he will have some interventions on his knee to put him in the best position for the second half of the season.”

According to reports, Ohtani will probably have his left knee drained and receive an injection. Unlike before, he will not be having surgery this time.

He has recorded six stolen bases so far during the season. Ohtani, who just hit his 300 career home run against the Colorado Rockies, is batting .290 with a .939 OPS this season, after navigating a lengthy slump earlier.

Manager Dave Roberts also revealed that in Ohtani’s absence and with the upcoming All-Star break, Friday will be a bullpen game for the Los Angeles team.

Though he is not in the Cy Young category yet, Ohtani has been dominant on the mound this year. In 14 starts, he holds an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP. And if anything, the Dodgers will be trying their best to have Ohtani in top form for October baseball.