Overview
- Ohtani completed a 35-pitch bullpen on Friday and used his full pitch mix, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
- The club plans at least one more bullpen session and will move to live batting practice and a major-league game only if he shows no pain or setbacks.
- He has not pitched since July 3 after left-knee irritation and received a lubricant injection on July 12 that also kept him out of the All-Star Game.
- Catcher Will Smith took batting practice and caught a bullpen and is trending positively but is still not expected back before September; the pitching staff has felt strain in Ohtani’s absence.
- Ohtani’s 2026 two-way production—an 8-2 record with a 1.79 ERA and 95 strikeouts on the mound and a .290 average with 27 homers at the plate—raises the stakes for a careful, workload-driven return ahead of the postseason.