Overview
- The Dodgers announced Friday that Ohtani was removed from his scheduled pitching start and will not travel to the 2026 All‑Star Game because of continued irritation in his left knee.
- The club said Ohtani will remain in the lineup as the designated hitter through the weekend series with Arizona and will undergo unspecified post‑series interventions on the knee.
- Rather than start Ohtani on the mound, the Dodgers shifted to an unplanned bullpen plan for Friday’s game and media reports identified Kyle Hurt as the opener/starting arm.
- The knee problem first flared in mid‑June when Ohtani left a June 11 game with inflammation and involves the same left knee that had surgery in 2019, with prior imaging reportedly showing inflammation but no structural re‑injury.
- Ohtani is having an elite two‑way season as a top pitcher and hitter, so the Dodgers framed the move as a precaution to preserve his performance and postseason availability given their large division lead.