Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani Gives Pitching Update Amid Injuries Ahead of 2026 MLB Playoffs

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is not expected to pitch again this season.

Ohtani made the declaration Monday night, telling reporters he would "most likely" not pitch again in 2026, and would be "focusing on hitting moving forward."

The 32-year-old Ohtani added, "Disappointing,. But I want to make sure that when I look back this season that I used this as an experience, a learning experience, and make sure that I use that as something to improve upon for next season."

Per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Ohtani has been dealing with numerous injuries recently, including discomfort in his neck and right arm, left knee soreness and an issue with his right biceps, which impacted a bullpen session on Aug. 28.

Ohtani has not pitched in a game since July 3, and he had missed four games in a row before returning to the lineup Monday and going 0-for-3 as the designated hitter in L.A.'s 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds.

On the heels of winning the National League MVP Award in each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers, and the American League MVP Award in his final season with the Los Angeles Angels in 2023, Ohtani was enjoying his best campaign as a pitcher this season.

In 14 starts, Ohtani went 8-2 with a career-low 1.79 ERA and 0.95 WHIP this season, plus 95 strikeouts in 85.2 innings pitched.

Ohtani seemingly won't get the chance to see the season through from a pitching perspective, although he will still be able to contribute at the plate.

By normal standards, Ohtani has had another strong year as a hitter, slashing .277/.380/.522 with 30 home runs, 80 RBI, 89 runs scored and 11 stolen bases.

However, those numbers pale in comparison to what Ohtani did over his first two seasons with the Dodgers.

In 2024, Ohtani hit .310 with 54 home runs and a career-high 130 RBI and 59 steals. He followed that up last season by clubbing a career-high 55 homers to go along with a .282 average, 102 RBI and 20 stolen bases.

Ohtani is still in the thick of the NL MVP race, but it is fair to wonder if his season being cut short as a pitcher will hurt his case against Chicago Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, who is slashing .281/.376/.577 with 41 home runs, 97 RBI and 35 steals.

Ultimately, the Dodgers' biggest concern is winning a third consecutive World Series, and they will need Ohtani to be at his best at the plate in order to do that.

While not having Ohtani in the playoff rotation will hurt, manager Dave Roberts should have more than enough options between Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow, among others.