Shohei Ohtani Sits Out After 35 Days… "Condition Must Be Monitored Daily"

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, who has recently struggled due to lingering injuries, sat out a game for the first time in 35 days since his appearance against the Seattle Mariners on July 31.

Ohtani watched from the bench during the Major League Baseball (MLB) game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

Dealing with a left knee injury, Ohtani has not pitched since his appearance against the San Diego Padres on July 4, and he slumped in August with a batting average of 0.241.

In the game against St. Louis on the 3rd, he went hitless with four strikeouts and one walk in four at-bats, dropping his season batting average to 0.279.

MLB.com reported, "Ohtani is currently not in good physical condition, and his status must be monitored on a daily basis."

Prior to the game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stated, "The possibility of Ohtani going on the injured list (IL) is small, but it is not completely out of the question."

Ohtani has been avoiding contact with the media since his interview with reporters after the game against the Colorado Rockies on the 18th of last month.

MLB.com explained, "Ohtani is dealing with pain not only in his knee but also in his biceps and neck," adding, "The Dodgers club is focusing on helping Ohtani recover his condition before the postseason."

On this day, the Dodgers secured a 3-2 victory, propelled by the stellar performance of Tommy Hyunsu Edman—of Korean descent—who started as the leadoff hitter in place of Ohtani and went 4-for-5 with two runs.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.