Shohei Ohtani Injury Update, Latest on Dodgers Star's Timeline to Return to Pitching

After throwing a shorter-than-usual bullpen session on Friday, Shohei Ohtani's return to the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers remains unclear.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters prior to Saturday's game against the Detroit Tigers that Ohtani's knee and right bicep are "not 100 percent" and they are unsure if he will make his planned start on Sunday.

htani threw just 20 pitches on Friday, down from the usual minimum of 30 he likes to throw in pre-start bullpen sessions.

Roberts didn't provide an immediate update afterward because he wasn't there to watch it, but said he would talk to Ohtani and pitching coach Mark Prior to determine next steps.

Ohtani had been making positive progress as he looked to get back on the mound. He faced live hitters on Aug. 22 for the first time since being taken out of the rotation in July due to knee soreness.

The Dodgers had planned for Ohtani to start and throw one inning in Sunday's series finale against Detroit if he came out of his bullpen session feeling good. Tyler Glasnow, who returned from a three-month absence on Tuesday, was going to follow him.

If Ohtani is unable to pitch, Glasnow would get the start. The Ohtani-Glasnow battery could end up being a preview of how the Dodgers use both in the playoffs since Ohtani would unlikely be built up enough to handle a full pitching workload if he does get back on the mound.

Ohtani hasn't pitched since July 3 due to knee soreness. It was later revealed he was also dealing with discomfort in his right biceps that stemmed from overcompensating with his upper half due to the issue with his knee.

Roberts has expressed confidence that Ohtani will pitch again in the regular season, setting him up to do so in the postseason. He made four pitching appearances in last year's playoffs, including starting Game 7 of the World Series.

Ohtani was having a Cy Young-caliber season before the injuries occurred. He has a 1.79 ERA with 95 strikeouts over 85.2 innings in 14 starts.