New Shohei Ohtani Rumors Reveal 'Internal Concern' over Injury, Latest Timeline on Dodgers Star

Injury concerns continue to linger over Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani.

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, "Though it appears Ohtani is weeks from rejoining the rotation, there is an internal concern over his lingering left knee soreness. Ohtani did not throw a bullpen Saturday at Citi Field, though that session was considered fluid. The thought was that if Ohtani had recovered from his previous bullpen session Wednesday in Philadelphia, Saturday would be the best day for a second one. But Ohtani did not feel he was at full strength, and the Dodgers won't push him to throw another one until he feels 100 percent. Should Ohtani rush a comeback, he risks overcompensating, which could lead to other issues not as treatable as the team believes his knee is."

While Ohtani has continued to operate as the team's designated hitter, he hasn't pitched since July 3.

"From his words, the hitting, the running, as he has done the last couple nights, doesn't affect him," manager Dave Roberts told reporters. "I can only go by what he and the training staff are telling me. So, unless I hear otherwise, that hitting compromises his health, then I'm going to keep putting him in the lineup."

At the dish Ohtani is having a solid season, hitting .282 with 22 homers, 61 RBI, 66 runs and a .907 OPS. Almost every player in baseball would take those numbers, but for a four-time MVP who has recorded three straight seasons with an OPS above 1.000 and two straight seasons with over 50 homers, it's been something of a down year.

But on the mound he's been absolutely lights out, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 95 strikeouts in 85.2 innings across 14 starts.

The Dodgers manage his pitching workload carefully and his limited appearances this season, compared to the other top pitchers in the National League, likely will remove him from serious Cy Young contention. But when he's been on the mound this season he's pitched at an elite level.

"Not having him make these last two starts is a bummer for everyone—for him, especially," Roberts told reporters over the weekend. "Offensively, he has been really good. I think he could be better, but he is still an MVP."

The Dodgers have reinforcements coming to the rotation, with Blake Snell expected to return in August and Tyler Glasnow expected back at some point in the regular season. A playoff rotation of those two plus Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is nasty, while the team could bring Roki Sasaki and Justin Wrobleski out of the bullpen to help get to Tanner Scott and Edwin Díaz in the eighth and ninth innings.

It's an embarrassment of riches, though some of those assets aren't currently liquid.