Shohei Ohtani's Health Status Raises Questions for Dodgers

On Tuesday night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was clear about Shohei Ohtani’s status for Wednesday. However, when the team’s lineup was announced Wednesday afternoon, Ohtani was not included. This marked the sixth time in the last seven games that Ohtani was absent from the batting order. His absence on this occasion was notable, as Roberts had stated he would return the night before. Ohtani's health has been a concern for the Dodgers in recent days, particularly following a game last Wednesday where he struck out four times and appeared to be in pain due to ongoing left knee and right arm injuries. The day after that game, Ohtani missed the first of four consecutive contests as the team opted to give him extended rest. He returned to the lineup on Monday but went 0-for-3 with one walk. Despite being out again on Tuesday, Roberts referred to this as a form of “load management,” indicating that the team would seek more opportunities to rest him as the season progresses. Roberts also mentioned that Ohtani was available off the bench for that night’s game and expected him to return for Wednesday’s series finale against the Reds, prior to a scheduled off day on Thursday. The reasons for Ohtani's absence on Wednesday were not immediately clear, and Roberts was set to address reporters later in the afternoon. This story is developing and will be updated.