Dave Roberts breaks silence on Shohei Ohtani and the possibility of shutting him down as a pitcher

If there is one player the Los Angeles Dodgers cannot afford to lose, it is Shohei Ohtani . However, the Japanese superstar was once again out of the lineup on Sunday, extending his absence to four consecutive games.

The good news for the organization is that there is optimism Ohtani could return to the field on Monday. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was not ready to rule out that possibility before Sunday’s game and said the decision will depend on how the slugger responds in the coming hours.

“Until he’s written in the lineup, we don’t know 100%,” Roberts said. “But I’m hopeful.”

Ohtani’s physical issues date back several months. A left knee injury has prevented him from pitching since July 3, as he has struggled with his movements and landing properly on that leg. Despite the setback, he had managed to remain in the lineup as the Dodgers’ designated hitter.

Now, a new biceps issue has forced him to miss four consecutive games with Los Angeles.

Ohtani felt good after his workout on Saturday, meaning much of the decision regarding his potential return to the lineup on Monday will depend on how he responds during Sunday’s recovery process.

If he returns, his role would only be as a designated hitter . At this point, everything indicates that a return to the mound this season is becoming increasingly unlikely for Ohtani.

When asked if Ohtani had officially been shut down as a pitcher, Roberts responded:

“Not officially,” Roberts said regarding Ohtani being removed from pitching duties. “But obviously, if you’re looking at the calendar, how much he’s thrown in the last week, I think we can all do the math.”

Dodgers have not ruled out placing Shohei Ohtani on the injured list

Although the Dodgers hope to have Ohtani back on Monday, the possibility of him landing on the injured list remains on the table.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic , Ohtani’s next batting session will be crucial in determining the team’s next move.

“Shohei Ohtani is set to hit in the cage today. How he comes out of that will be telling as to if he needs an IL stint or not, Dave Roberts said. Sunday will be important as the team continues to weigh a decision.”

So far, Ohtani appears to be moving in the right direction. However, setbacks can happen, and as Roberts explained, nothing is guaranteed for the Dodgers until his name appears in the lineup.

If Ohtani is ultimately placed on the injured list, he would have to miss at least 15 days due to his designation as a two-way player.

Interestingly, Ohtani’s recent physical problems began to increase when he attempted to prepare for his return to pitching. Now, there is a feeling within the Dodgers organization that the demands of maintaining both roles may have contributed to these new issues.

“I do think that the no throwing, I think, is beneficial,” Roberts said. “I think that the four days has been beneficial. At that point in time, we’ll just kind of monitor day to day and make sure we don’t get to that point where it was at four or five days ago.”

Despite the health concerns, Ohtani continues to put up elite numbers this season. The Japanese superstar is batting .279 with a .906 OPS, along with 30 home runs and 80 RBIs.

As a pitcher, when available, Ohtani has also been dominant, posting a 1.79 ERA and a 0.946 WHIP over 85.2 innings pitched.