Shohei Ohtani faces a defining crossroads in his historic Major League Baseball career as persistent knee and biceps injuries sideline the Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar from pitching, raising questions about whether the physical toll of the mound is finally catching up to his unparalleled skill set, according to reports from Sports Illustrated.
The Anatomy of an Injury-Plagued Pitching Season
According to Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Dodgers placed Shohei Ohtani on the injured list due to persistent knee and biceps problems that have lingered for months. The left knee issues officially began on June 11, while the biceps trouble emerged sometime in May. Ohtani hasn’t made a pitching start since July 3. Whenever he attempted to ramp up his throwing program, the knee issue placed additional stress on his biceps, stalling his progress. In 14 starts this season, Ohtani posted an 8–2 record with a 1.79 ERA, a 0.95 WHIP, and 95 strikeouts against 26 walks over 85 ⅔ innings, generating 2.9 fWAR.
The pitching injuries recall a long history of physical setbacks for the four-time MVP. After 10 starts in 2018, Ohtani tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm and required Tommy John surgery, missing the entire 2019 season on the mound. Following a flexor strain in 2020 that limited him to two starts, he enjoyed healthy campaigns in 2021 and 2022 with 51 combined starts. He added 23 starts in 2023 before tearing his UCL a second time and undergoing another major elbow surgery. After missing the entire 2024 season from the mound, he returned in 2025 to throw 47 innings over 14 starts. According to historical data cited by Sports Illustrated, Ohtani has thrown a total of 132 ⅔ innings over the last three years, with nearly 70% of his 614 ⅓ career innings coming during the 2021-through-2023 stretch.
Offensive Production and the Debate Over His Future
While Ohtani remains an elite offensive force, his numbers at the plate have dipped during his attempts to return to the mound. Over 49 games since his July 3 start, Sports Illustrated reports that he slashed .259/.342/.518 with 12 home runs, 30 RBIs, and a wRC+ of 127. His .860 OPS over that span marks a decline from the 1.000-plus marks he posted in each of the previous three seasons. Furthermore, the knee injury has impacted his base-running speed, limiting him to 11 stolen bases in 14 attempts this year after he stole 59 bases two years ago.
Analyst Rob Parker argued on an edition of MLB Now, as reported by the source, that the Dodgers star should permanently abandon pitching. “Not only should they shut him down from pitching for the rest of the season, but forever! Enough with the pitching! I want him to be in the lineup every day. I want him to hit, I don’t want him to pitch anymore,” Parker stated. Parker added that the Dodgers, who won back-to-back World Series titles, do not need Ohtani to pitch to win championships.
Pro Tip: When evaluating two-way players in fantasy baseball or analytics, monitor how pitching workloads directly correlate with day-to-day batting splits and defensive mobility.
Evaluating the Dodgers’ Pitching Depth Without Ohtani
The Dodgers possess extensive rotation depth that mitigates the need to rush Ohtani back to the mound. According to Sports Illustrated, Los Angeles features a starting staff led by Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Tarik Skubal. Although Snell and Glasnow have encountered injuries, both remain under contract through at least next season, while pitchers like Justin Wrobleski, Emmet Sheehan, and Roki Sasaki provide added depth.
Ohtani signed a 10-year contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season, a historic campaign where he became the first player to hit 50-plus home runs and steal 50-plus bases while winning his third unanimous National League MVP award.
Did You Know? Shohei Ohtani won the National League MVP award in 2024 without throwing a single pitch, and secured the award again in 2025 despite throwing only 47 innings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Los Angeles Dodgers place Shohei Ohtani on the injured list?
According to Sports Illustrated, the Dodgers placed Ohtani on the injured list due to persistent left knee and biceps issues that began on June 11 and in May, respectively.
How many career pitching innings has Shohei Ohtani thrown?
According to historical data cited by Sports Illustrated, Ohtani has thrown 614 ⅓ innings in his MLB career, with nearly 70% of those innings coming during a three-year stretch from 2021 through 2023.
What are analysts saying about Ohtani’s pitching future?
According to the source, analyst Rob Parker stated on MLB Now that Ohtani should stop pitching permanently to focus entirely on hitting and avoid further physical strain.
What do you think? Should Shohei Ohtani stop pitching to protect his career as a hitter? Leave a comment below or subscribe to our newsletter for more MLB updates.