Shohei Ohtani Injury Update, Latest News and Timeline for Dodgers Star Ahead of MLB Playoffs

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has reportedly continued to make progress in his recovery from knee and biceps injuries.

According to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, Ohtani swung off of a Trajekt Arc pitching machine for the first time on Saturday. It represents the closest he'll come to facing live pitching before he can be activated from the injured list.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts didn't have an exact timeline for Ohtani's return on Saturday, per Ardaya.

On Sept. 11, Los Angeles placed the four-time MVP on the 15-day injured list.

Assuming Ohtani will be activated after the 15-day absence, he can play up to five regular-season games before the playoffs begin.

Dodgers hitting coach Aaron Bates discussed the two-way star's preparation with the postseason drawing closer.

"Between (the) machine, live pitching, Trajekt, somewhere in-between that, that's the best you can do," Bates said, per Ardaya. "Then you kind of fire them out there and see what happens. Just like spring training, it kind of takes guys a little bit of time to get their footing. But it depends on the person. Every guy is a little bit different with how much time they need."

Ohtani's health woes started earlier this season, as left knee inflammation forced him to stop pitching and miss the 2026 All-Star festivities. His last start on the mound came on July 3.

While Ohtani was still able to contribute as part of the Dodgers' lineup during that time, he eventually started to deal with more availability issues. He missed six of their seven games prior to his stint on the injured list.

Still, Ohtani has remained impactful when he's been able to suit up. In 130 games this season, he's racked up 30 home runs and 80 RBI while slashing .277/.380/.522.

Meanwhile, he owns an 8-2 record in 14 starts to go along with a 1.79 ERA and 0.946 WHIP.

Los Angeles has already clinched the National League West with a 94-60 record, but the team is still competing for the league's top spot. The Dodgers are currently 2.5 games back from the Milwaukee Brewers for the No. 1 seed in the NL as they chase a third straight World Series title.