Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani will not play Saturday night against the San Diego Padres because of tightness to his right biceps.
With the best record in MLB and a 14-game lead in the National League West, the Dodgers can afford to give their designated hitter/pitcher a chance to rest and recover.
Ohtani left Los Angeles’ 4-3 win in the seventh inning after he reported that he felt the biceps tighten up after taking a swing an inning earlier.
He told reporters after the game that he was faced with a similar issue earlier in the season and that he healed “relatively quickly.”
Manager Dave Roberts agreed.
“He’s dealt with it before,” Roberts said. “He’s a quick healer and finds a way to get back. But I do think that for us to read and react and hear what his body is telling him is really important, given the toll it takes on his body to be a two-way player.”
Ohtani was the starting pitcher against the Padres on Friday and, working on nine days’ rest, threw a season-high 110 pitches. He gave up three runs on seven hits and two walks in six innings, striking out nine.
He was 0-for-3 at the plate.
On the season, Ohtani is batting .288 with 18 home runs and 50 runs driven in. As he pitcher, he has an 8-2 record and a 1.79 ERA. He has thrown 85 2/3 innings over 14 starts.
