The Los Angeles Dodgers have not put Shohei Ohtani on the injured list, and that may be because an MLB rule makes the decision tricky.
Ohtani is dealing with a sore bicep, left knee, and neck, according to the Dodgers, which has kept him out for three straight games.
Shutting down his pitching work for the season and putting him on the injured list have not been ruled out yet, but manager Dave Roberts is “hopeful” that it does not happen.
Ohtani was noticeably grimacing during his last game appearance on Wednesday vs. the St. Louis Cardinals, prompting the organization to sit him.
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) looks on during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
While his discomfort was visible to millions of Dodger faithful, putting Ohtani on the IL is not as simple as it may seem.
Why putting Ohtani on the IL is tricky
According to Major League Baseball’s injured list rules, since Ohtani is properly categorized as a two-way player, that means they can only go on the 15-day injured list, rather than the 10-day injured list.
Also, an IL placement can only be backdated three days, meaning he would miss 12 days from Saturday if they put him on the list immediately.
This would put him in line to return on September 18th.
Every day the Dodgers delay the decision will give him less time to ramp up, but if he doesn’t need all 12 days, keeping him on the active roster and sitting him would be ideal to get him on the field.
Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) in the dugout during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn ImagesWhat makes losing Ohtani for 15 days so tough
The decision would be much easier if the Dodgers were not in a tight fight for postseason seeding against the Atlanta Braves, who are 0.5 games ahead of the LA as of Saturday.
Instead, the Dodgers are left fighting for a bye, and they need their star man in the batting order for an offense that is still shaking off some struggles.
More than the bye, what the Dodgers really need is Ohtani right for the postseason, and if it means losing him for some games in the regular season, they seem ready for that, just not ready enough for a full-on IL placement.
Dodgers Nation
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