Baseball fans received a major Shohei Ohtani update during the Los Angeles Dodgers’ weekend series against the Detroit Tigers. The two-way superstar had been considered for a return to the mound in Sunday’s finale, but that plan changed.
The Dodgers ultimately held Ohtani out of pitching duties and started Tyler Glasnow instead. Los Angeles plans to reassess Ohtani’s pitching schedule after returning home, leaving fresh questions about when the reigning superstar will take the mound again.
Dodgers confirm Ohtani will not pitch
Shohei Ohtani did not pitch in the Dodgers’ series finale against the Detroit Tigers on Aug. 30. Manager Dave Roberts confirmed that Ohtani would not take the mound after the team evaluated his physical condition following a bullpen session.
Tyler Glasnow started Sunday’s game at Comerica Park. The Dodgers said they would reassess Ohtani’s pitching plans after returning to Los Angeles.
Ohtani’s lingering left knee soreness and right biceps issue were among the factors affecting his pitching timeline.
Knee and bicep issues persist
Ohtani has been managing lingering issues in his left knee and right bicep for weeks. Those problems flared up again after his bullpen session on Friday. The setback pushed his pitching timeline further back once more.
Manager Dave Roberts did not sugarcoat the situation after a tough loss to Detroit. He admitted Ohtani simply had not come out of his bullpen feeling right. The arm and knee were both real concerns.
The Dodgers are taking a cautious approach because Ohtani’s pitching progression has placed additional demands on his body. The team still expects him to return to the mound this season, but it has not set a new target date.
Tyler Glasnow takes the mound
Glasnow started the series finale against Detroit after the Dodgers decided not to use Ohtani. Glasnow had been scheduled to pitch regardless of whether Ohtani opened the game, and he delivered 7 innings of 1-run ball in a 6-1 Dodgers victory.
The Dodgers’ current rotation picture includes Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell, and Glasnow, while Ohtani remains out of the rotation until his physical condition improves. The club also has other pitching options available as it manages injuries and workload.
Eric Lauer became an important rotation option after Roki Sasaki was placed on the injured list with a blister on his right middle finger. The Dodgers do not yet have their full intended starting group healthy, as Ohtani remains sidelined as a pitcher and Sasaki is also unavailable.
A rehab buildup that stalled
Ohtani has not pitched in a Major League game since July 3, 2026. His return from a second major right-elbow surgery has been carefully managed, and he had already resumed his throwing progression before the latest setback.
Roberts said the Dodgers planned to be “a little bit more aggressive” with Ohtani’s buildup than they were in 2025. During his 2025 return, Ohtani did not complete more than 3 innings in a single outing until his eighth start of the season.
The latest snag came after Ohtani faced live hitters and completed a lighter-than-usual bullpen session. The Dodgers now have less than 4 weeks remaining in the regular season, which leaves limited time for him to build toward a postseason pitching role.
Why Ohtani, the hitter, still shines
Even while he is sidelined as a pitcher, Ohtani remains a central part of the Dodgers’ lineup. He has continued to serve as the team’s designated hitter and has regularly occupied the leadoff spot while the club manages his two-way workload.
The Dodgers entered 2026 with plans for a six-man rotation to give their starters additional rest, particularly because Ohtani was expected to pitch and hit throughout the season. The club has adjusted that plan when injuries and Ohtani’s absence from the rotation have reduced its starting-pitching depth.
Fun fact: Before baseball took over completely, Ohtani was a competitive swimmer in high school. His coach at Hanamaki Higashi High School believed Ohtani had the natural ability to pursue swimming at the Olympic level.
The bigger October rotation question
The real question is whether Ohtani pitches at all again this year. The Dodgers have roughly 4 weeks left to make that final call, with the deadline set for Sept. 27. Time is running short for everyone involved.
Roberts has remained cautious in his public comments, refusing to rule anything out completely just yet. The team wants to see how Ohtani feels once they return home to Los Angeles this coming week.
If he does pitch again, it will likely start as a limited one-inning outing only. Anything beyond that single inning depends entirely on how his knee and bicep respond in the coming days.
Remembering Ohtani’s historic 50-50 season
Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to reach 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season. He finished 2024 with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, setting the MLB record for the first 50-50 season.
He reached the milestone during a historic 6-for-6 game against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19, 2024. Ohtani hit 3 home runs, stole 2 bases, and drove in 10 runs while collecting 6 hits and 17 total bases.
The performance is widely regarded as one of the greatest individual games in baseball history. It also helped the Dodgers clinch a postseason berth that day. Ohtani’s 2024 season remains one of the most extraordinary offensive seasons in MLB history.
Fun fact: In 2016, Ohtani hit a ball through the roof of the Tokyo Dome during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against the Netherlands. The shot was estimated to have traveled 525 feet, but was ruled a ground-rule double because it never officially cleared the stadium.
What the update means for fans
For fans in Detroit, Ohtani remained one of the biggest attractions of the Dodgers’ 3-game series against the Tigers. The first 2 games drew sellout crowds of 41,012 and 40,022, while the Aug. 30 finale drew 35,387 fans.
Ohtani remained in the Dodgers’ lineup as the designated hitter throughout the series, including Sunday’s 6-1 victory. He finished the finale 0-for-5 with 2 strikeouts as Los Angeles took 2 of 3 games in Detroit.
The pitching uncertainty means fans will have to wait longer to see Ohtani return to the mound. The Dodgers continue to expect him to pitch again this season, but the team has not announced a new target date.
TL;DR
- Ohtani did not pitch in the Tigers series finale on Aug. 30 because the Dodgers determined he was not physically ready.
- Tyler Glasnow started the finale and pitched 7 innings in the Dodgers’ 6-1 victory.
- Ohtani remains the Dodgers’ designated hitter and has regularly led off while his pitching progression is paused.
- Ohtani’s 2024 season produced MLB’s first 50-home-run, 50-stolen-base season, and he finished with 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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