Shohei Ohtani Injury Update, Pitching Status Revealed By Dodgers' Friedman After MLB Playoff Exit

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani will not get surgery this offseason after left knee irritation and right biceps discomfort bothered him for much of the 2026 campaign, per Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman at the end-of-year press conference.

The GM also noted that he expects the four-time MVP to pitch next season.

Over the 2023-2025 seasons, Ohtani averaged 51 home runs and 109 RBI. He posted a .298 batting average and 1.037 OPS. He won MVP awards all three seasons (American League in 2023, when he played for the Los Angeles Angels).

However, Ohtani dealt with injuries from for much of 2026 and through the playoffs, and his numbers dipped (30 homers, 81 RBI, .275 average, .889 OPS). Those are still great numbers overall, and he was in the NL MVP conversation this season.

Ohtani started the year great on the pitcher's mound, going 8-2 with a 1.79 ERA (0.95 WHIP) and 95 strikeouts in 14 starts. However, Ohtani made his last start of the season on July 3 after exiting with right biceps tightness.

Over his final 18 regular season games, Ohtani hit .157 (.503 OPS). He had no home runs and just one RBI. He went on the 15-day injured list due to biceps and knee issues in September. The playoffs were a struggle as well, as Ohtani hit just .192 (.630 OPS) with 10 strikeouts in eight games.

L.A. won 100 games and reached the National League Championship Series but lost to the Milwaukee Brewers in a four-game sweep.

As far as the future goes, thankfully surgery is off the table for Ohtani, and an offseason of rest can certainly help as L.A. looks to rebound.