Dodgers' Dave Roberts Confirms Shohei Ohtani Pitching Setback: 'Wouldn't Run Him' Out There

What Happened Shohei Ohtani's road back to the mound just got longer. After facing live hitters on August 22, momentum was building toward an early September return as a two-way threat for the Dodgers. But his August 28 bullpen session told a different story — just 20 pitches thrown, and Ohtani reportedly still didn't feel right afterward. That immediately took Sunday's scheduled start against Detroit off the board, and Tuesday is now off the table too.

Manager Dave Roberts didn't sugarcoat it, saying plainly: "If any pitcher was feeling like this, we wouldn't run him out there." That's about as clear a signal as you'll get that the Dodgers are prioritizing caution over urgency here.

The Backstory This isn't a new issue — it traces back to June, when Ohtani first felt discomfort behind his left knee. There wasn't one specific play or moment that caused it. Ohtani himself pointed to his own pitching mechanics as the likely culprit, saying it's hard to pinpoint exactly when it started but that his mechanics "weren't quite great" on the mound side.

Imaging came back clean — no structural damage — so he initially pushed through it. But the discomfort never fully went away. After his July 3 start (his last mound outing), he also developed tightness in his right biceps, adding another layer to the problem. By July 10, the knee irritation was serious enough that the Dodgers scratched his next scheduled start and pulled him from the All-Star Game entirely.

Why the Delay Keeps Happening Ohtani has been candid about wanting to get back on a normal throwing schedule, but every time it looks like progress is being made, another setback pushes the timeline back. That's exactly what happened again this week — a bullpen session that should've been a step forward instead became another red flag.

What It Means for the Dodgers LA is still sitting atop the NL West, but the margin for error is shrinking. The bullpen has been shaky, injuries are stacking up, and losing Ohtani's two-way flexibility down the stretch would be a real blow heading into October. Roberts' comments make it clear the front office isn't willing to gamble on a half-healthy Ohtani just to hit an arbitrary return date — especially with the playoffs in view.

The Bottom Line There's no new setback timeline being handed down, but the pattern is clear: every time Ohtani gets close, something pulls him back. For now, the Dodgers are choosing patience over pitching him through discomfort, betting that a healthy Ohtani in October is worth more than a rushed one in September.