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Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani responds to being scratched from All-Star Game due to injury
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- Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani responds to being scratched from All-Star Game due to injury
Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani responds to being scratched from All-Star Game due to injury appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Many baseball fans want to see the inimitable Shohei Ohtani contend for the National League Cy Young Award, and those same people relished the idea of the slugging/pitching hybrid smashing a home run or two in Citizens Bank Park during the 2026 MLB All-Star Game. Left knee inflammation is a surefire way to ruin grand plans and history-making quests, however. The four-time MVP and Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has no choice but to consider the big picture.
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After missing his scheduled start against the Arizona Diamondbacks and pulling out of the Fall Classic, Ohtani revealed how he intends to approach this knee issue .
"I could have started today, but it would have still been pushing the envelope a little bit," the two-time World Series champion said through his translator, per Katie Woo of The Athletic. "My every intention is to use the off days to ensure that I'm in a good place to be able to be in the rotation (on a regular schedule)."
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Ohtani says he is in more discomfort when pitching and believes the way he plants his leg on the release could be the root of the problem. The six-time All-Star will have his knee drained after Sunday's series finale versus the Diamondbacks, per Woo, and will then work on making some mechanical adjustments.
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The Cy Young crown may already be out of reach given the innings gap between Shohei Ohtani and the NL's other high-level hurlers, but the future first-ballot Hall of Famer still wants to be on the mound as much as reasonably possible. The Dodgers likely feel the same way, for they recognize how valuable his arm will be during the ballclub's World Series defense.
In the meanwhile, Ohtani is still swinging the bat. The elite designated hitter belted a 381-foot lead-off home run in Friday's 9-3 loss versus the D-backs and now has three dingers in his last four games. He can still dazzle fans at less than full strength, a quality that only adds to No. 17's mystique.
The All-Star Game will be teeming with talent and star power, but Shotime's absence will surely be felt.
Related: Dodgers Dave Roberts shuts the door on Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching in all-star game
Related: Dodgers' Dave Roberts shares massive Blake Snell announcement on Saturday
