Shohei Ohtani’s latest injury puts his days as a two-way unicorn in peril

The Los Angeles Dodgers may not get to see Shohei Ohtani ever reach the heights he did with the Angels as a two-way superstar. The Dodgers tweeted Friday afternoon that Ohtani is dealing with more irritation in his left knee. As a result, he’s not throwing as scheduled and will remain a designated hitter through the Arizona Diamondbacks series before rehabbing during the All-Star break. 

Since Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, he’s thrown in 28 games in his three seasons with the Dodgers. There’s a chance he may not pitch again this season if he continues to feel discomfort on the mound. This season, he had a sub 2.00 ERA with a 0.95 WHIP and 95 strikeouts. Just when it felt like the Dodgers were finally getting the Ohtani they paid for, he’s hit with yet another setback. This one could be damning. 

Why LA Dodger’s investment in Shohei Ohtani could backfire

Ohtani was handed, at the time, the most expensive contract in baseball because he was a two-way star unlike any player in the modern era. He led MLB in home runs and was consistently one of the top pitchers across MLB. The Dodgers coughed up a lot of money to watch him work both on the mound and at the plate. Instead, they paid a lot of money for him to be a DH. 

I guess it’s worth it when you look at how destructive Ohtani is at the plate. Entering Friday’s game against the Diamondbacks, Ohtani has 20 home runs, 56 RBIs, a .939 OPS and a 2.9 WAR. In each of his first two seasons in Los Angeles, he had at least 50 home runs and above a 1.000 OPS. When you’re that productive at the plate, it’s hard to argue with paying him all that money, even if you’re only getting half the player. 

Ohtani getting paid what he did laid the groundwork for Juan Soto’s lucrative contract with the New York Mets. Would Ohtani still be the first $700 million player if he was just a position player? For now, the Dodgers are still cashing in on their Ohtani investment, even if his future on the mound is dim. 

Should Shohei Ohtani pitch again after latest injury setback?

Yes, I feel like he should. Now will he ever return to the mound? Well, that’s a different question. Injuries have hampered him as a pitcher since he left the Angels. When he’s on the mound, though, he’s so good. That’s why he and the Dodgers should still be aiming to get him back at some point this season ahead of the postseason. 

Ohtani made his postseason pitching debut last year, throwing in four games and striking out 28 batters in 20.1 innings pitched. I’m sure he’d want another shot at throwing in the postseason. It all depends on how his rehab goes. This is the same knee he had surgery for a condition called bipartite patella back in 2019. 

What does Shohei Ohtani’s injury setback mean for Dodgers trade deadline plan?

If the Dodgers get healthy just before October, then they won’t need to do too much at the deadline to add to the bullpen. According to a story in The Athletic, the Dodgers have enough time to work with their depth and see who could rise as a potential replacement for Ohtani in October if he misses extended time or ultimately gets shut down for the rest of the year. Eric Lauer is who The Athletic thinks could serve as the depth option toward the end of the season. 

This doesn’t mean the Dodgers won’t get active to get a surefire arm rather than a depth one in the rotation. They’ve been rumored to be interested in Tariq Skubal, though that’s cooled off a bit with the Tigers possibly turning things around. If Skubal is on LA’s radar, just about every top arm is too. Whether they have Ohtani back, they’ll probably want to lean on getting one more reliable arm for the postseason at the deadline. That’s just how unreliable Ohtani’s durability as a pitcher has been since his arrival. 

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