Overview
- Manager Dave Roberts confirmed Friday that Shohei Ohtani received a lubricant injection in his left knee after Sunday’s game and that the team did not drain fluid from the joint.
- Ohtani returned to the Dodgers’ second‑half lineup as the leadoff designated hitter on Friday while the club monitors his response to treatment and short workouts.
- The Dodgers expect Ohtani to make his next start on Wednesday in Philadelphia if he comes out of catch play and mound sessions feeling well, a date chosen to provide extra recovery time afterward.
- Coaches, including pitching coach Mark Prior, say they are reviewing Ohtani’s delivery—noting repeated landings on his left leg—as a likely contributor to recurring inflammation and a reason to alter mechanics and workload.
- Ohtani’s elite two‑way season (about .293 with 22 homers and an 8‑2, 1.79 ERA) raises the stakes for caution, so the Dodgers plan to prioritize long‑term availability over maximizing short‑term starts.