DETROIT — Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching in games appears to be on hold after he reported “not feeling 100 percent” after his short bullpen session Friday.
Before Saturday’s game, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he was not ready to say “definitively” whether Ohtani will pitch Sunday. But he acknowledged that Ohtani “just throwing, pitching, (is) not 100 percent. What percent it is, I don’t know the answer.”
Ohtani has been dealing with left knee pain since June and received an injection at the All-Star break. But Ohtani also reported after his most recent start July 3 that he had been dealing with a sore biceps for some time. That is still an issue, Roberts said Saturday.
“That’s part of it too,” Roberts said. “It’s everything. Just not 100 percent.”
Roberts said if Ohtani does not throw an inning Sunday, it won’t necessarily be moved back to Tuesday. But the question of Ohtani pitching again this year is “when” not “if,” Roberts said.
A more pertinent question might be – why?
Not for the first time, Roberts acknowledged Saturday that the Dodgers need Ohtani as a hitter far more than as a pitcher if they are going to complete their three-peat in October.
“Obviously, where we’re at right now with the pitching, the starting pitching certainly being a strength, his value offensively is hugely important, and so we can’t compromise that in any fashion,” Roberts said. “So, if throwing potentially cuts into that, that’s not worth the squeeze.
“(I am) very very bullish on making sure we don’t compromise the hitting.”
It might be too late. Going into Saturday’s game, Ohtani was 4 for his past 31 (.129) with 12 strikeouts over his previous eight games – a slide that roughly coincides with Ohtani’s attempts to increase his pitching workload with bullpens and live batting practice sessions.
“I think 100 percent, for me, as far as an offensive player, that’s very important. As a pitcher, for me, given the strength of our staff, our team, I don’t think that’s as important,” Roberts said. “I think it’s important for us not to compromise his health in any capacity. But for me, it’s just his presence in the batter’s box is hugely important.”
Roberts wasn’t willing to link Ohtani’s current slump at the plate to his increased work as a pitcher.
“I understand the lining up with when he’s starting to really not swing the bat while he’s ramping up,” he said. “It just hasn’t been a whole body of work on the throwing side. Honestly, I just think that for me, I think the pitch selection hasn’t been good.”
Roberts said he will decide after the game Saturday and let Tigers manager A.J. Hinch know whether Ohtani or Tyler Glasnow will start Sunday’s game.
“I think that as the competitor, he wants to do both (hit and pitch) and I respect it,” Roberts said. “But nothing I’m saying changes his identity as a two-way player. But I think in the moment, yeah, I mean, he still feels that there’s still an opportunity, and I’m not trying to say there isn’t. But I do think that at the end of the day, he’s very aware of our roster, strengths, weaknesses, and his value to the ball club, and whatever that means.”
NEW DIRECTION
Tarik Skubal said he was worried about what might happen during his first start as a visitor at Comerica Park Friday night.
“I was actually joking to AJ (Hinch, Tigers manager) and said, ‘I hope one of the innings I don’t walk the wrong way’ (and into the home dugout),” Skubal said.
Friday was a new experience for Skubal after 77 starts for the home team at Comerica Park.
“When I walked into this clubhouse, I’d never been on that side,” he said of being a visitor. “When I first got here, I was ‘Which way is the field?’ With all the tunnels and stuff, I was just getting guided around just like any road clubhouse you go to for the first time.
“It’s much farther down there. A lot more steps going down there. But I guess that’s good for your health.”
FULL COUNT
Roberts surprisingly pulled Skubal after six innings and only 83 pitches in his start Friday night. Roberts said it was based on Skubal’s workload in his previous two starts and a desire to keep the postseason in mind.
Skubal threw 109 and 106 in back-to-back starts. They were his first starts this season during which he threw more than 100 pitches.
But Roberts said he has no specific plans to limit Skubal going forward.
“No,” he said. “I think he was 106, 109 back to back. For me honestly, I kind of arbitrarily in three starts (increments) like to keep guys around a 100-pitch average. … I’d like to keep him at that 100. But he hasn’t been pushed like this. So for me, I needed a re-set. I just felt with the emotions, the last two starts, yesterday was the day. That was my thought.”
UP NEXT
Dodgers (TBA) at Tigers (LHP Framber Valdez, 8-9, 4.36 ERA), Sunday, 10:40 a.m., SportsNet LA, 570 AM