Shohei Ohtani gave the Dodgers a scare on June 11 when he exited an 8-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates with left knee inflammation. The move was described as precautionary, and the follow-up was encouraging: Ohtani missed Friday’s game, returned Saturday, homered, and reached base four times.
The Dodgers have been cruising through the 2026 season with Ohtani doing things no player in baseball history has ever done. He is a legitimate MVP and Cy Young contender at the same time. One knee scare was all it took to remind everyone how much this league revolves around one man.
What happened in Pittsburgh
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-6 on a warm June night at PNC Park. But the final score was not the story. Shohei Ohtani, who had been dominant up to that point, was pinch-hit for in the seventh inning after the team announced he had left knee inflammation.
Manager Dave Roberts said the move was purely precautionary. Ohtani had told trainers he felt something behind his knee after a stolen base attempt on a foul ball. Roberts was not willing to risk making a minor issue worse on a road trip with several games still left to play.
Ohtani’s night before the exit
Before leaving the game, Ohtani had put together one of the cleaner offensive performances of any player this season. He went 2-for-2 with a solo home run in the third inning, two walks, and reached base in all four plate appearances before Santiago Espinal replaced him as the designated hitter.
It was Ohtani’s 13th home run of the year. He was locked in at the plate the day after a pitching start, which is usually when most two-way players feel their worst. The fact that his exit came on such a productive night made the news hit even harder for Dodgers fans.
A knee with a long history
This is not the first time Ohtani’s left knee has been a concern. Back in September 2019, he underwent season-ending surgery with the Angels to repair this same bipartite patella condition. He was given an 8-to-12 week recovery window at the time.
Roberts pushed back on any link to the 2019 surgery. He described the issue as pain at the attachment of the knee and hamstring, calling it discomfort rather than a sharp pain. The Dodgers said they had not heard about it until around the sixth inning of the game.
Little-known fact: Bipartite patella is a rare congenital condition affecting only 1 to 2 percent of people worldwide, in which the two bones of the kneecap never fuse together at birth.
What the numbers say about his importance
As of June 15, MLB listed Ohtani at .302/.425/.548 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs in 69 games. On the mound, he is 6-2 with a 1.06 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings, keeping him firmly in the MVP conversation while still giving him a real Cy Young case.
On the mound, the numbers are almost unreal. He owns a 6-2 record with a 1.06 ERA, a 0.84 WHIP, and 73 strikeouts in 67 2/3 innings. He is in serious contention for both the NL MVP and the NL Cy Young Award. No active player in baseball comes close to this level of two-way contribution.
The MRI results and what they revealed
The Dodgers did not wait long to get answers. Ohtani underwent an MRI after the knee scare, and Roberts said the results showed normal wear and tear rather than a major structural concern.
That update became even more reassuring when Ohtani returned to the lineup Saturday against the White Sox, hit his 14th home run, walked three times, and said he felt good enough to continue. He was still expected to make his next pitching start on Wednesday against Tampa Bay.
How the NL race changes without Ohtani
Even with a 7-game NL West lead entering June 15, Los Angeles is not bulletproof without its best player. The Padres remain the closest divisional threat, while the wider National League picture includes Atlanta, Philadelphia, Milwaukee and other contenders that would welcome any sign of the Dodgers’ vulnerability.
If Ohtani were forced to miss real time, the MVP and Cy Young races would both open up. The Cy Young picture is already crowded, with Jacob Misiorowski and Cristopher Sánchez among the leading run-prevention arms in baseball. Misiorowski recently strengthened his case with a one-hit, 15-strikeout shutout that dropped his season ERA to 1.34.
Little-known fact: Ohtani is the overwhelming favorite for his fifth career MVP award in 2026 and received 158 vote points and 30 of 35 first-place votes, more than twice the total of the next-closest National League candidate.
What this means for the rest of baseball
Freddie Freeman put it simply in the visiting clubhouse after the Pittsburgh game. “He’s only the greatest player in the world,” Freeman said. That sentiment captures exactly why one injury to one player can reshape the entire competitive picture of a league with 15 teams.
The National League has been operating under the assumption that the Dodgers are a level above everyone else, largely because of Ohtani. A healthy Ohtani makes Los Angeles almost unbeatable. A limited Ohtani makes the NL race genuinely interesting. The rest of baseball is now watching his every at-bat and bullpen session very closely.
TL;DR
- Shohei Ohtani left the Dodgers’ June 11 win over Pittsburgh with left knee inflammation after feeling discomfort behind his knee.
- The move was precautionary, and an MRI showed normal wear and tear rather than a major structural concern.
- Ohtani missed Friday’s game, then returned Saturday with a leadoff homer and three walks.
- As of June 15, MLB listed him at .302/.425/.548 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs, along with a 6-2 record and 1.06 ERA as a pitcher.
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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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