Ohtani Skips All-Star Start for Knee Rest but Plays and Homers for Dodgers

Shohei Ohtani was scratched from his scheduled pitching start on July 10 due to continued irritation in his left knee and will skip the 2026 All-Star Game to rest. ESPN reported that Ohtani instead played in the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks that day and hit a home run in his first at-bat.

Ohtani will have his left knee drained and receive a pain-relieving injection after the Dodgers' game on July 12.

He led the majors in fan votes for the All-Star starting lineup. Ohtani, who turned 32 five days earlier, left a June 11 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates early with the same knee issue. Ohtani underwent surgery on the knee in September 2019 to address bipartite patella.

He has not attempted a stolen base since the June 11 flare-up. 529 slash line with eight home runs. Ohtani has allowed 10 runs, nine earned, in 18 innings over three starts since adjusting his pitching mechanics for the knee.

He holds a 1.79 ERA in 85⅔ innings this season. He has also dealt with a blister on his pitching hand and right biceps tightness, both of which have subsided. Ohtani spent July 9 in a lengthy conversation with Dodgers officials before agreeing to skip the start.

"The goal is to be able to throw according to regular schedule," Ohtani said through an interpreter after the July 10 game. "Although I could've started today, it would've still been pushing the envelope a little bit. " Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani has managed the knee well and that the team chose to be proactive with the drainage and rest during the break.

Roberts added that the goal for all players is October and that nothing will come before being healthy for the postseason. He expects Ohtani to be in the lineup for the Dodgers' first game at Yankee Stadium on July 17.